diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f39059e52d8d19affa887e5c37d07a137ee5f758..85e8863022902ed063dec8927ad2ec3615d60a26 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ if (GLOW_CMAKE_REPORT)
     message(STATUS "  OpenGL           : ${GLOW_OPENGL_SUPPORT}")
 endif()
 
-if(MSVC)
-    set(GLOW_LINK_TYPE STATIC CACHE STRING "" FORCE) # unfortunately, we need to link statically here
+if(MSVC OR APPLE)
+    # we need to link statically on Windows and OSX
+    set(GLOW_LINK_TYPE STATIC CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
 endif()
 
 if(APPLE)
diff --git a/src/glow/common/file_watch.cc b/src/glow/common/file_watch.cc
index ff57b5606a1729297d6b48835e890b7b3168a107..9a3a7575a420acc173690781bbdb1df4473b8d33 100644
--- a/src/glow/common/file_watch.cc
+++ b/src/glow/common/file_watch.cc
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ struct FileLocation
 
 const FileLocation getFileLocation(const std::string_view path)
 {
-    const auto predict = [](char character) {
+    const auto predict = [](char character) -> bool {
 #ifdef _WIN32
         return character == _T('\\') || character == _T('/');
-#elif __unix__
+#elif __unix__ || __APPLE__
         return character == '/';
 #endif // __unix__
     };
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ public:
         GLOW_RUNTIME_ASSERT(winDirectory != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, "Failed to create Win32 directory handle", return nullptr);
 
         return std::make_unique<Monitor>(path, winCloseEvent, winDirectory);
+#elif defined __APPLE__
+        return {};
 #endif
     }
 
diff --git a/src/glow/common/scoped_gl.hh b/src/glow/common/scoped_gl.hh
index 1fed981183146b70e8ca330f44e077fd793519cb..c270d4c86b48d311fd15fbe8c6135a69e44082f2 100644
--- a/src/glow/common/scoped_gl.hh
+++ b/src/glow/common/scoped_gl.hh
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include <glow/common/traits.hh>
 #include <glow/gl.hh>
 
+#include <glow/glow.hh>
+
 #include <typed-geometry/types/color.hh>
 #include <typed-geometry/types/objects/aabb.hh>
 #include <typed-geometry/types/pos.hh>
@@ -223,9 +225,20 @@ struct debugGroup
 {
     GLOW_NON_COPYABLE(debugGroup);
 
-    debugGroup(std::string const& name, GLuint id = 0) { glPushDebugGroup(GL_DEBUG_SOURCE_APPLICATION, id, -1, name.c_str()); }
+    debugGroup(std::string const& name, GLuint id = 0)
+    {
+        if (glow::OGLVersion.total >= 43)
+        {
+            glPushDebugGroup(GL_DEBUG_SOURCE_APPLICATION, id, -1, name.c_str());
+        }
+    }
 
-    ~debugGroup() { glPopDebugGroup(); }
+    ~debugGroup() {
+        if (glow::OGLVersion.total >= 43)
+        {
+            glPopDebugGroup();
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 #define GLOW_SCOPED_ENUM_VALUED_GL_FUNC(name, func, getName) \
diff --git a/src/glow/objects/NamedObject.cc b/src/glow/objects/NamedObject.cc
index 19e8a67955df964d670c18f489dfdf8bddd8ca47..83036a807719b4af8066994bfd2661f00eae0f9f 100644
--- a/src/glow/objects/NamedObject.cc
+++ b/src/glow/objects/NamedObject.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ std::string glow::detail::getObjectLabel(GLenum glNamespace, GLuint objectName)
 {
     checkValidGLOW();
 
+    // getObjectLabel requires OpenGL 4.3 or higher
+    if (glow::OGLVersion.total < 43)
+        return "";
+
     GLsizei len = 0;
     glGetObjectLabel(glNamespace, objectName, 0, &len, nullptr);
 
@@ -23,6 +27,10 @@ void glow::detail::setObjectLabel(GLenum glNamespace, GLuint objectName, std::st
 {
     checkValidGLOW();
 
+    // glObjectLabel requires OpenGL 4.3 or higher
+    if (glow::OGLVersion.total < 43)
+        return;
+
     if (label.size() > maxLength)
     {
         auto s = std::string(label.substr(0, maxLength)) + "...";