diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 15c7d1d..8474858 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@
 #INCLUDES=-Ilmdb-LMDB_0.9.22/libraries/liblmdb
 
 LIBS=-llmdb
-CXXFLAGS:=-std=gnu++17 -Wall -O2 -MMD -MP -ggdb -pthread $(INCLUDES) #  -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+CXXVERSIONFLAG= -std=gnu++11
+CXXFLAGS:= $(CXXVERSIONFLAG) -Wall -O2 -MMD -MP -ggdb -pthread $(INCLUDES) #  -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer
 CFLAGS:= -Wall -O2 -MMD -MP -ggdb 
 
-CXXVERSIONFLAG= -std=gnu++17 
+
 
 PROGRAMS = lmdb-test basic-example scale-example multi-example rel-example \
 	resize-example
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 34956dc..96eef10 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # lmdb-safe
-A safe modern & performant C++ wrapper of LMDB.  For now briefly only
-available for C++17, will support C++ 11 again soon.  MIT licensed.
-
+A safe modern & performant C++ wrapper of LMDB.  
+Requires C++17, or C++11 + Boost.
 [LMDB](http://www.lmdb.tech/doc/index.html) is an outrageously fast
 key/value store with semantics that make it highly interesting for many
 applications.  Of specific note, besides speed, is the full support for
diff --git a/basic-example.cc b/basic-example.cc
index 85d0143..40216db 100644
--- a/basic-example.cc
+++ b/basic-example.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
+using namespace std;
 
 void checkLMDB(MDBEnv* env, MDBDbi dbi)
 {
diff --git a/lmdb-safe.cc b/lmdb-safe.cc
index 0f34ae4..df10c31 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.cc
+++ b/lmdb-safe.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <map>
 
+using namespace std;
+
 static string MDBError(int rc)
 {
   return mdb_strerror(rc);
diff --git a/lmdb-safe.hh b/lmdb-safe.hh
index 7fc5960..dec982a 100644
--- a/lmdb-safe.hh
+++ b/lmdb-safe.hh
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#pragma once
 #include <lmdb.h>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <fstream>
@@ -9,7 +10,13 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <mutex>
 
-using namespace std;
+#if __cplusplus < 201703L
+#include <boost/utility/string_view.hpp>
+using boost::string_view;
+#else
+using std::string_view;
+#endif
+
 
 /* open issues:
  *
@@ -49,15 +56,6 @@ public:
 
   ~MDBEnv()
   {
-    for(auto& a : d_RWtransactionsOut) {
-      if(a.second)
-        cout << "thread " <<a.first<<" had "<<a.second<<" RW transactions open"<<endl;
-    }
-    for(auto& a : d_ROtransactionsOut) {
-      if(a.second)
-        cout << "thread " <<a.first<<" had "<<a.second<<" RO transactions open"<<endl;
-    }
-        
     //    Only a single thread may call this function. All transactions, databases, and cursors must already be closed before calling this function
     mdb_env_close(d_env);
     // but, elsewhere, docs say database handles do not need to be closed?
@@ -105,7 +103,7 @@ struct MDBOutVal
   {
     T ret;
     if(d_mdbval.mv_size != sizeof(T))
-      throw runtime_error("MDB data has wrong length for type");
+      throw std::runtime_error("MDB data has wrong length for type");
     
     memcpy(&ret, d_mdbval.mv_data, sizeof(T));
     return ret;
@@ -120,7 +118,7 @@ struct MDBOutVal
   {
     T ret;
     if(d_mdbval.mv_size != sizeof(T))
-      throw runtime_error("MDB data has wrong length for type");
+      throw std::runtime_error("MDB data has wrong length for type");
     
     memcpy(&ret, d_mdbval.mv_data, sizeof(T));
     return ret;
@@ -134,9 +132,9 @@ template<> inline std::string MDBOutVal::get<std::string>()
   return std::string((char*)d_mdbval.mv_data, d_mdbval.mv_size);
 }
 
-template<> inline std::string_view MDBOutVal::get<std::string_view>()
+template<> inline string_view MDBOutVal::get<string_view>()
 {
-  return std::string_view((char*)d_mdbval.mv_data, d_mdbval.mv_size);
+  return string_view((char*)d_mdbval.mv_data, d_mdbval.mv_size);
 }
 
 class MDBInVal
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@ public:
     d_mdbval.mv_data = (void*)&v[0];
   }
 
-  MDBInVal(const string& v) 
+  MDBInVal(const std::string& v) 
   {
     d_mdbval.mv_size = v.size();
     d_mdbval.mv_data = (void*)&v[0];
@@ -249,7 +247,7 @@ public:
     MDBOutVal out;
     int rc = get(dbi, key, out);
     if(!rc)
-      val = out.get<std::string_view>();
+      val = out.get<string_view>();
     return rc;
   }
 
@@ -429,7 +427,7 @@ public:
     MDBOutVal out;
     int rc = get(dbi, key, out);
     if(!rc)
-      val = out.get<std::string_view>();
+      val = out.get<string_view>();
     return rc;
   }
   
@@ -483,7 +481,6 @@ public:
   }
   MDBRWCursor(MDBRWCursor&& rhs)
   {
-    cout<<"Got move constructed, this was: "<<(void*)&rhs<<", now: "<<(void*)this<<endl;
     d_parent = rhs.d_parent;
     d_cursor = rhs.d_cursor;
     rhs.d_cursor=0;
@@ -508,7 +505,7 @@ public:
   {
     int rc = mdb_cursor_get(d_cursor, &key.d_mdbval, &data.d_mdbval, op);
     if(rc && rc != MDB_NOTFOUND)
-      throw std::runtime_error("mdb_cursor_get: " + string(mdb_strerror(rc)));
+      throw std::runtime_error("mdb_cursor_get: " + std::string(mdb_strerror(rc)));
     return rc;
   }
 
diff --git a/lmdb-test.cc b/lmdb-test.cc
index 67bbf32..4ffa457 100644
--- a/lmdb-test.cc
+++ b/lmdb-test.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <thread>
 #include <vector>
+using namespace std;
 
 static void closeTest()
 {
diff --git a/multi-example.cc b/multi-example.cc
index d751c91..0a02d31 100644
--- a/multi-example.cc
+++ b/multi-example.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
+using namespace std;
 
 int main()
 {
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ int main()
   txn.put(dbi, "lmdb", "c");
   txn.put(dbi, "mdb", "old name");
 
-  std::string_view v1;
+  string_view v1;
   if(!txn.get(dbi, "mdb", v1)) {
     cout<<v1<<endl;
   }
diff --git a/rel-example.cc b/rel-example.cc
index 8a2c3b0..a2ba275 100644
--- a/rel-example.cc
+++ b/rel-example.cc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <boost/archive/binary_oarchive.hpp>
 #include <boost/archive/binary_iarchive.hpp>
-
+using namespace std;
 
 struct Record
 {
diff --git a/scale-example.cc b/scale-example.cc
index f18a4c0..0ee9065 100644
--- a/scale-example.cc
+++ b/scale-example.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "lmdb-safe.hh"
-
+using namespace std;
 
 struct MDBVal
 {