diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index f9957f75..510c73fa 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ Requires libvips v8.3.1
   [#443](https://github.com/lovell/sharp/pull/443)
   [@lemnisk8](https://github.com/lemnisk8)
 
+* Add --sharp-cxx11 flag to compile with gcc's new C++11 ABI.
+  [#456](https://github.com/lovell/sharp/pull/456)
+  [@kapouer](https://github.com/kapouer)
+
 #### v0.15.0 - 21<sup>st</sup> May 2016
 
 * Use libvips' new Lanczos 3 kernel as default for image reduction.
diff --git a/docs/install.md b/docs/install.md
index b2d8cf9f..d033b263 100644
--- a/docs/install.md
+++ b/docs/install.md
@@ -30,8 +30,16 @@ Most recent Linux-based operating systems with glibc running on x64 and ARMv6+ C
 
 To use your own version of libvips instead of the provided binaries, make sure it is
 at least the version listed under `config.libvips` in the `package.json` file,
-that it can be located using `pkg-config --modversion vips-cpp`
-and that it has been compiled with `_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0`.
+that it can be located using `pkg-config --modversion vips-cpp`.
+
+There are [changes in the C++11 ABI](https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/manual/using_dual_abi.html)
+when using v5.1+ of the `g++` compiler.
+If you have installed `libvips-dev` via package manager on an OS such as Debian testing/unstable,
+you can pass the required value of the `_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI` macro using the `--sharp-cxx11` flag.
+
+```sh
+npm install --sharp-cxx11=1
+```
 
 If you are using non-stadard paths (anything other than `/usr` or `/usr/local`),
 you might need to set `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` during `npm install`
@@ -54,12 +62,6 @@ For Linux-based operating systems such as Alpine that use musl libc,
 the smaller stack size means libvips' cache should be disabled
 via `sharp.cache(false)` to avoid a stack overflow.
 
-Beware of Linux OS upgrades that introduce v5.1+ of the `g++` compiler due to
-[changes](https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/manual/using_dual_abi.html)
-in the C++11 ABI.
-This module assumes the previous behaviour, which can be enforced by setting the
-`_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0` environment variable at libvips' compile time.
-
 ### Mac OS
 
 [![OS X 10.9.5 Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/lovell/sharp.png?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/lovell/sharp)