diff --git a/.clang-format.optional b/.clang-format
similarity index 55%
rename from .clang-format.optional
rename to .clang-format
index 9984b76d..83d40c72 100644
--- a/.clang-format.optional
+++ b/.clang-format
@@ -1,16 +1,26 @@
 ---
-BasedOnStyle: Google
-Language: Cpp
-Standard: Cpp03
+# Indentation for all files
+ColumnLimit: 120
+IndentWidth: 4
 TabWidth: 4
 UseTab: Never
-ColumnLimit: 120
-NamespaceIndentation: All
+
+# C++ Options
+Language: Cpp
+Standard: c++17
+
+BasedOnStyle: Google
+
+IncludeBlocks: Preserve
 
 AccessModifierOffset: -4
 ContinuationIndentWidth: 4
-IndentWidth: 4
 
+# Constructor initializers better formatted in presence of preprocessor conditions (see image.cpp)
+BreakConstructorInitializers: AfterColon
+AllowAllConstructorInitializersOnNextLine: true
+
+# break braces for most of the cases (except conditionals and loops)
 BreakBeforeBraces: Custom
 BraceWrapping:
     AfterStruct: true
@@ -20,11 +30,12 @@ BraceWrapping:
     AfterEnum: true
     AfterNamespace: true
 
+# Do not allow SingleLine statements (to improve coverage statistics)
 AllowShortFunctionsOnASingleLine: None
 AllowShortBlocksOnASingleLine: false
 AllowShortIfStatementsOnASingleLine: false
 AllowShortLoopsOnASingleLine: false
 
-IncludeBlocks: Preserve
+Cpp11BracedListStyle: true
 
 ...
diff --git a/.github/workflows/on_push_clang_format.yml b/.github/workflows/on_push_clang_format.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..33bed1be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/on_push_clang_format.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+name: Clang Format Checker
+on: [push]
+jobs:
+  clang-format-checking:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: DoozyX/clang-format-lint-action@v0.13
+        with:
+          source: '.'
+          exclude: './xmpsdk ./contrib'
+          extensions: 'c,h,cpp,hpp'
+          clangFormatVersion: 12
+          style: file