diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 48b43026b..b994b251a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
-cmake-build-debug/
+# Build directories, libraries and binary files
+**/myeasylog.log
 build/
-Build/
-BUILD/
-bUILD/
-Datasets/
-.sconsign.dblite
+cmake-build-debug/
+dist/
 lib/
-.csv
+venv/
+
+# IDE and related files
+.cache/
 .idea/
 .vscode/
-**/myeasylog.log
-dist
-venv
+
+# OS Generated file
+**/.DS_Store
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dd0490557..922769cbe 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
-cmake_policy(SET CMP0144 NEW)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.15)
+if (POLICY CMP0167)
+    # deprecated by definition, but we use old behaviour for find_package(Boost) to load CMake's FindBoost module
+    # TODO: port project to "Modern CMake" https://gist.github.com/mbinna/c61dbb39bca0e4fb7d1f73b0d66a4fd1
+    cmake_policy(SET CMP0167 OLD)
+endif()
+if (POLICY CMP0144)
+    cmake_policy(SET CMP0144 NEW)
+endif()
+
 project(Desbordante)
 
 option(COPY_PYTHON_EXAMPLES "Copy Python examples" OFF)
@@ -103,9 +111,16 @@ endif()
 
 # configuring boost
 set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS OFF)
-find_package(Boost 1.81.0 REQUIRED COMPONENTS container thread graph CONFIG)
-include_directories(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-message(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
+find_package(Boost 1.81.0 REQUIRED COMPONENTS container thread graph)
+if (Boost_FOUND)
+    message(STATUS "Found Boost include dirs: ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+    include_directories( ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    message(STATUS "Found Boost library dirs: ${Boost_LIBRARY_DIRS}")
+else ()
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Boost not found. If boost is installed specify environment"
+        "variables like \"BOOST_ROOT\" for hint to CMake where to search")
+endif()
 
 # providing subdirectories for header inclusion
 include_directories(
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index efe602aad..520c630e5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ The following instructions were tested on Ubuntu 20.04+ LTS and macOS Sonoma 14.
 Prior to cloning the repository and attempting to build the project, ensure that you have the following software:
 
 - GNU GCC, version 10+
-- CMake, version 3.13+
+- CMake, version 3.15+
 - Boost library built with GCC, version 1.81.0+
 
 To use test datasets you will need: