diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7bbfb201a..67ec7ccee 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -129,7 +129,10 @@ if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNU)
     # note: starting with CMake 2.8 we could use CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION
     execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} -dumpversion
                     OUTPUT_VARIABLE GCC_VERSION)
-    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -W -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wwrite-strings")
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -Wwrite-strings")
+    if (GCC_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.3 OR GCC_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL 4.3)
+        set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wvla")
+    endif()
     if (GCC_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 4.5 OR GCC_VERSION VERSION_EQUAL 4.5)
         set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wlogical-op")
     endif()
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@ if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNU)
 endif(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNU)
 
 if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_CLANG)
-    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -W -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wwrite-strings -Wpointer-arith -Wimplicit-fallthrough -Wshadow")
+    set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -Wwrite-strings -Wpointer-arith -Wimplicit-fallthrough -Wshadow -Wvla")
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE     "-O2")
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_DEBUG       "-O0 -g3")
     set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_COVERAGE    "-O0 -g3 --coverage")
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index be26f56f8..83b32347e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ In order to build for a Windows platform, you should use `WINDOWS_BUILD=1` if th
 
 Setting the variable `SHARED` in your environment will build shared libraries in addition to the static libraries. Setting `DEBUG` gives you a debug build. You can override `CFLAGS` and `LDFLAGS` by setting them in your environment or on the make command line; compiler warning options may be overridden separately using `WARNING_CFLAGS`. Some directory-specific options (for example, `-I` directives) are still preserved.
 
-Please note that setting `CFLAGS` overrides its default value of `-O2` and setting `WARNING_CFLAGS` overrides its default value (starting with `-Wall -W`), so if you just want to add some warning options to the default ones, you can do so by setting `CFLAGS=-O2 -Werror` for example. Setting `WARNING_CFLAGS` is useful when you want to get rid of its default content (for example because your compiler doesn't accept `-Wall` as an option). Directory-specific options cannot be overridden from the command line.
+Please note that setting `CFLAGS` overrides its default value of `-O2` and setting `WARNING_CFLAGS` overrides its default value (starting with `-Wall -Wextra`), so if you just want to add some warning options to the default ones, you can do so by setting `CFLAGS=-O2 -Werror` for example. Setting `WARNING_CFLAGS` is useful when you want to get rid of its default content (for example because your compiler doesn't accept `-Wall` as an option). Directory-specific options cannot be overridden from the command line.
 
 Depending on your platform, you might run into some issues. Please check the Makefiles in `library/`, `programs/` and `tests/` for options to manually add or remove for specific platforms. You can also check [the Mbed TLS Knowledge Base](https://tls.mbed.org/kb) for articles on your platform or issue.
 
diff --git a/library/Makefile b/library/Makefile
index 60f3ae0d3..8b2e572aa 100644
--- a/library/Makefile
+++ b/library/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Also see "include/mbedtls/config.h"
 
 CFLAGS	?= -O2
-WARNING_CFLAGS ?=  -Wall -W -Wdeclaration-after-statement
+WARNING_CFLAGS ?=  -Wall -Wextra
 LDFLAGS ?=
 
 LOCAL_CFLAGS = $(WARNING_CFLAGS) -I../include -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
diff --git a/programs/Makefile b/programs/Makefile
index 2cb736622..4c05d915a 100644
--- a/programs/Makefile
+++ b/programs/Makefile
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # To compile with PKCS11: add "-lpkcs11-helper" to LDFLAGS
 
 CFLAGS	?= -O2
-WARNING_CFLAGS ?= -Wall -W -Wdeclaration-after-statement
-WARNING_CXXFLAGS ?= -Wall -W
+WARNING_CFLAGS ?= -Wall -Wextra
+WARNING_CXXFLAGS ?= -Wall -Wextra
 LDFLAGS ?=
 
 LOCAL_CFLAGS = $(WARNING_CFLAGS) -I../include -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index 27ce33895..1679ee40b 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # To compile with PKCS11: add "-lpkcs11-helper" to LDFLAGS
 
 CFLAGS	?= -O2
-WARNING_CFLAGS ?= -Wall -W -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wunused
+WARNING_CFLAGS ?= -Wall -Wextra
 LDFLAGS ?=
 
 LOCAL_CFLAGS = $(WARNING_CFLAGS) -I../include -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64