diff --git a/scripts/cmake/CompilerSetup.cmake b/scripts/cmake/CompilerSetup.cmake
index c5af43ae39bf692e8f4a40828b06b1977e0e3544..32b4c305504741ac95c0a00207a51c390ca4eaf9 100644
--- a/scripts/cmake/CompilerSetup.cmake
+++ b/scripts/cmake/CompilerSetup.cmake
@@ -118,6 +118,12 @@ if(COMPILER_IS_GCC OR COMPILER_IS_CLANG OR COMPILER_IS_INTEL)
 endif()
 
 if(MSVC)
+    if(${MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION} LESS ${ogs.minimum_version.msvc.toolset})
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Aborting: Visual Studio ${ogs.minimum_version.msvc.year} \
+            is required! Found Visual Studio with toolset version \
+            ${MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION}. See the following link for version info: \
+            https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.16/variable/MSVC_TOOLSET_VERSION.html")
+    endif()
     if(OGS_CPU_ARCHITECTURE STREQUAL "native")
         set(CPU_FLAGS /favor:blend)
     else()
diff --git a/web/content/docs/devguide/getting-started/prerequisites.pandoc b/web/content/docs/devguide/getting-started/prerequisites.pandoc
index 32617bee6f95e45f7779163c9a4361e566ceebb4..24485fcfd8f05c0feb26d8ae977a7167df80876f 100644
--- a/web/content/docs/devguide/getting-started/prerequisites.pandoc
+++ b/web/content/docs/devguide/getting-started/prerequisites.pandoc
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ The minimum prerequisites to build OGS are:
 ## Step: Install a compiler
 
 ::: {.win}
-As we use lots of features of the C++17-standard we support **Visual Studio 2015** and up. Therefore you will need at least **Windows 7** (64-bit recommended). It is perfectly fine to use the free Community Edition of Visual Studio.
+As we use lots of features of the C++17-standard we support **Visual Studio {{< dataFile "versions.minimum_version.msvc.year" >}}** and up. Therefore you will need at least **Windows 7** (64-bit recommended). It is perfectly fine to use the free Community Edition of Visual Studio.
 
-- Download and install [Visual Studio Community 2017](https://www.visualstudio.com/de/thank-you-downloading-visual-studio/?sku=Community&rel=15)
+- Download and install [Visual Studio Community](https://www.visualstudio.com)
   - Select the *workload* `Desktop Development with C++`
   - You can uncheck everything else
 - When installation finished please start Visual Studio once (when asked for credentials enter your Microsoft account or click on **Skip for now**)
diff --git a/web/data/versions.json b/web/data/versions.json
index 2f6053556ab896dc5914a65bef90df79dc968c3e..4261ce2d19e44c9bf8ce90bb043b646ea455075c 100644
--- a/web/data/versions.json
+++ b/web/data/versions.json
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 {
   "minimum_version": {
     "gcc": "7.3",
-    "clang": "3.5"
+    "clang": "3.5",
+    "msvc": {
+      "year": "2017",
+      "number": "15",
+      "toolset": "141"
+    }
   }
 }