diff --git a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
index caf33f224bc..f05e1ddb5f0 100644
--- a/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
+++ b/cpp/cmake_modules/ThirdpartyToolchain.cmake
@@ -2229,15 +2229,15 @@ if(ARROW_TESTING)
                      1.10.0
                      USE_CONFIG
                      ${GTEST_USE_CONFIG})
-  get_target_property(gtest_cxx_standard GTest::gtest INTERFACE_COMPILE_FEATURES)
 
-  if((${gtest_cxx_standard} STREQUAL "cxx_std_11") OR (${gtest_cxx_standard} STREQUAL
-                                                       "cxx_std_14"))
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "System GTest is built with a C++ standard lower than 17. Use bundled GTest via passing in CMake flag
+  if(GTest_SOURCE STREQUAL "SYSTEM")
+    get_target_property(gtest_cxx_standard GTest::gtest INTERFACE_COMPILE_FEATURES)
+    if((${gtest_cxx_standard} STREQUAL "cxx_std_11") OR (${gtest_cxx_standard} STREQUAL
+                                                         "cxx_std_14"))
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "System GTest is built with a C++ standard lower than 17. Use bundled GTest via passing in CMake flag
 -DGTest_SOURCE=\"BUNDLED\"")
-  endif()
+    endif()
 
-  if(GTest_SOURCE STREQUAL "SYSTEM")
     find_package(PkgConfig QUIET)
     pkg_check_modules(gtest_PC
                       gtest