diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 75a212984..315c0842a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -233,4 +233,9 @@ jobs:
           haxe: ${{ inputs.haxe }}
       - name: test c/cxx_standard attributes
         working-directory: test/cxx_standard
-        run: haxelib run hxcpp Build.xml
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          for xml in *.xml; do
+            haxelib run hxcpp $xml
+            haxelib run hxcpp $xml clean
+          done
diff --git a/test/cxx_standard/Build_legacy.xml b/test/cxx_standard/Build_legacy.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9c4efa99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cxx_standard/Build_legacy.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<xml>
+	<set name="HXCPP_CPP17" value="1" />
+
+	<files id="test">
+		<compilerflag value="/Zc:__cplusplus" if="isMsvc" />
+		<file name="main.cpp" />
+	</files>
+
+	<target id="default" tool="linker" toolid="exe" output="main">
+		<files id="test"/>
+	</target>
+</xml>
diff --git a/test/cxx_standard/Build_section.xml b/test/cxx_standard/Build_section.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af4ab0cdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cxx_standard/Build_section.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<xml>
+	<files id="test" cxx_standard="17">
+		<compilerflag value="/Zc:__cplusplus" if="isMsvc" />
+		<section>
+			<file name="main.cpp" />
+		</section>
+	</files>
+
+	<target id="default" tool="linker" toolid="exe" output="main">
+		<files id="test"/>
+	</target>
+</xml>
diff --git a/tools/hxcpp/BuildTool.hx b/tools/hxcpp/BuildTool.hx
index 82a2b533e..49ee8b9d1 100644
--- a/tools/hxcpp/BuildTool.hx
+++ b/tools/hxcpp/BuildTool.hx
@@ -164,45 +164,8 @@ class BuildTool
 
       Profile.setEntry("parse xml");
 
-
-
-      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_C_STANDARD")) {
-         defaultCStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_C_STANDARD"));
-      }
-
-      // Hxcpp requires C++11, so the default standard cannot be less than that
-      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CXX_STANDARD")) {
-         defaultCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_CXX_STANDARD"));
-         if (defaultCxxStandard < 11) {
-            Log.warn('Increasing default C++ standard to C++11 instead of C++${defaultCxxStandard}');
-            defaultCxxStandard = 11;
-         }
-      } else if(mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CPP17")) {
-         defaultCxxStandard = 17;
-      } else if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CPP14")) {
-         defaultCxxStandard = 14;
-      } else {
-         defaultCxxStandard = 11;
-      }
-
-      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_OBJC_STANDARD")) {
-         defaultObjCStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_OBJC_STANDARD"));
-      }
-
-      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_OBJCXX_STANDARD")) {
-         defaultObjCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_OBJCXX_STANDARD"));
-         if (defaultObjCxxStandard < 11) {
-				Log.warn('Increasing default Obj-C++ standard to Obj-C++11 instead of Obj-C++${defaultObjCxxStandard}');
-            defaultObjCxxStandard = 11;
-         }
-      } else {
-         defaultObjCxxStandard = 11;
-      }
-
       include("toolchain/setup.xml");
 
-
-
       if (mDefines.exists("toolchain"))
       {
          if (!mDefines.exists("BINDIR"))
@@ -1021,10 +984,58 @@ class BuildTool
       if (inTags!=null)
          group.mTags = inTags;
 
-      group.mCStandard = inXML.has.c_standard ? Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.c_standard)) : defaultCStandard;
-      group.mObjCStandard = inXML.has.objc_standard ? Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.objc_standard)) : defaultObjCStandard != null ? defaultObjCStandard : group.mCStandard;
-      group.mCxxStandard = inXML.has.cxx_standard ? Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.cxx_standard)) : defaultCxxStandard;
-      group.mObjCxxStandard = inXML.has.objcxx_standard ? Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.objcxx_standard)) : defaultObjCxxStandard != null ? defaultObjCxxStandard : group.mCxxStandard;
+      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_C_STANDARD")) {
+         defaultCStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_C_STANDARD"));
+      }
+
+      // Hxcpp requires C++11, so the default standard cannot be less than that
+      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CXX_STANDARD")) {
+         defaultCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_CXX_STANDARD"));
+         if (defaultCxxStandard < 11) {
+            Log.warn('Increasing default C++ standard to C++11 instead of C++${defaultCxxStandard}');
+            defaultCxxStandard = 11;
+         }
+      } else if(mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CPP17")) {
+         defaultCxxStandard = 17;
+      } else if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_CPP14")) {
+         defaultCxxStandard = 14;
+      } else {
+         defaultCxxStandard = 11;
+      }
+
+      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_OBJC_STANDARD")) {
+         defaultObjCStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_OBJC_STANDARD"));
+      }
+
+      if (mDefines.exists("HXCPP_OBJCXX_STANDARD")) {
+         defaultObjCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(mDefines.get("HXCPP_OBJCXX_STANDARD"));
+         if (defaultObjCxxStandard < 11) {
+            Log.warn('Increasing default Obj-C++ standard to Obj-C++11 instead of Obj-C++${defaultObjCxxStandard}');
+            defaultObjCxxStandard = 11;
+         }
+      } else {
+         defaultObjCxxStandard = 11;
+      }
+
+      if (inXML.has.c_standard)
+         group.mCStandard = Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.c_standard));
+      else if (group.mCStandard == null)
+         group.mCStandard = defaultCStandard;
+
+      if (inXML.has.objc_standard)
+         group.mObjCStandard = Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.objc_standard));
+      else if (group.mObjCStandard == null)
+         group.mObjCStandard = defaultObjCStandard != null ? defaultObjCStandard : group.mCStandard;
+
+      if (inXML.has.cxx_standard)
+         group.mCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.cxx_standard));
+      else if (group.mCxxStandard == null)
+         group.mCxxStandard = defaultCxxStandard;
+
+      if (inXML.has.objcxx_standard)
+         group.mObjCxxStandard = Std.parseInt(substitute(inXML.att.objcxx_standard));
+      else if (group.mObjCxxStandard == null)
+         group.mObjCxxStandard = defaultObjCxxStandard != null ? defaultObjCxxStandard : group.mCxxStandard;
 
       for(el in inXML.elements)
       {