diff --git a/examples/cpp/BUILD.bazel b/examples/cpp/BUILD.bazel
index f027ec9e838..80ca3e7e500 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/examples/cpp/BUILD.bazel
@@ -771,6 +771,18 @@ cc_binary(
     ],
 )
 
+cc_test(
+    name = "strawberry_fields_with_column_generation_test",
+    srcs = ["strawberry_fields_with_column_generation.cc"],
+    size = "large",
+    args = ["--colgen_instance=4"],
+    deps = [
+        "//ortools/base",
+        "//ortools/linear_solver",
+        "@com_google_absl//absl/strings:str_format",
+    ],
+)
+
 # Dimacs assignment problems
 cc_library(
     name = "print_dimacs_assignment",
diff --git a/examples/cpp/strawberry_fields_with_column_generation.cc b/examples/cpp/strawberry_fields_with_column_generation.cc
index 5726ef7affa..dc663161473 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/strawberry_fields_with_column_generation.cc
+++ b/examples/cpp/strawberry_fields_with_column_generation.cc
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ class CoveringProblem {
   // Grid is a row-major string of length width*height with '@' for an
   // occupied cell (strawberry) and '.' for an empty cell.  Solver is
   // not owned.
-  CoveringProblem(MPSolver* const solver, const Instance& instance)
+  CoveringProblem(MPSolver* solver, const Instance& instance)
       : solver_(solver),
         max_boxes_(instance.max_boxes),
         width_(instance.width),
@@ -547,15 +547,18 @@ class CoveringProblem {
 
 // Solves iteratively using delayed column generation, up to maximum
 // number of steps.
-void SolveInstance(const Instance& instance,
-                   MPSolver::OptimizationProblemType solver_type) {
-  // Prepares the solver.
-  MPSolver solver("ColumnGeneration", solver_type);
-  solver.SuppressOutput();
-  solver.MutableObjective()->SetMinimization();
+void SolveInstance(const Instance& instance, std::string solver_name) {
+  // Prepares the solver->
+  std::unique_ptr<MPSolver> solver(MPSolver::CreateSolver(solver_name));
+  if (!solver) {
+    LOG(INFO) << "Solver type '" << solver_name << "' not supported, or not linked in";
+    return;
+  }
+  solver->SuppressOutput();
+  solver->MutableObjective()->SetMinimization();
 
   // Construct problem.
-  CoveringProblem problem(&solver, instance);
+  CoveringProblem problem(solver.get(), instance);
   CHECK(problem.Init());
   LOG(INFO) << "Initial problem:\n" << problem.PrintGrid();
 
@@ -566,7 +569,7 @@ void SolveInstance(const Instance& instance,
     }
 
     // Solve with existing columns.
-    CHECK_EQ(MPSolver::OPTIMAL, solver.Solve());
+    CHECK_EQ(MPSolver::OPTIMAL, solver->Solve());
     if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_verbose)) {
       LOG(INFO) << problem.PrintCovering();
     }
@@ -590,7 +593,7 @@ void SolveInstance(const Instance& instance,
 
   if (step_number >= absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_max_iterations)) {
     // Solve one last time with all generated columns.
-    CHECK_EQ(MPSolver::OPTIMAL, solver.Solve());
+    CHECK_EQ(MPSolver::OPTIMAL, solver->Solve());
   }
 
   LOG(INFO) << step_number << " columns added";
@@ -604,40 +607,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   usage += "  --colgen_max_iterations <n>  max columns to generate\n";
   usage += "  --colgen_complete            generate all columns at start\n";
 
+  absl::SetFlag(&FLAGS_stderrthreshold, 0);
   InitGoogle(usage.c_str(), &argc, &argv, true);
-
-  operations_research::MPSolver::OptimizationProblemType solver_type;
-  bool found = false;
-#if defined(USE_CLP)
-  if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver) == "clp") {
-    solver_type = operations_research::MPSolver::CLP_LINEAR_PROGRAMMING;
-    found = true;
-  }
-#endif  // USE_CLP
-#if defined(USE_GLOP)
-  if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver) == "glop") {
-    solver_type = operations_research::MPSolver::GLOP_LINEAR_PROGRAMMING;
-    found = true;
-  }
-#endif  // USE_GLOP
-#if defined(USE_XPRESS)
-  if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver) == "xpress") {
-    solver_type = operations_research::MPSolver::XPRESS_LINEAR_PROGRAMMING;
-    // solver_type = operations_research::MPSolver::CPLEX_LINEAR_PROGRAMMING;
-    found = true;
-  }
-#endif
-#if defined(USE_CPLEX)
-  if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver) == "cplex") {
-    solver_type = operations_research::MPSolver::CPLEX_LINEAR_PROGRAMMING;
-    found = true;
-  }
-#endif
-  if (!found) {
-    LOG(ERROR) << "Unknown solver " << absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver);
-    return 1;
-  }
-
   LOG(INFO) << "Chosen solver: " << absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver)
             << std::endl;
 
@@ -645,7 +616,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     for (int i = 0; i < operations_research::kInstanceCount; ++i) {
       const operations_research::Instance& instance =
           operations_research::kInstances[i];
-      operations_research::SolveInstance(instance, solver_type);
+      operations_research::SolveInstance(instance, absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver));
     }
   } else {
     CHECK_GE(absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_instance), 0);
@@ -653,7 +624,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
              operations_research::kInstanceCount);
     const operations_research::Instance& instance =
         operations_research::kInstances[absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_instance)];
-    operations_research::SolveInstance(instance, solver_type);
+    operations_research::SolveInstance(instance, absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_colgen_solver));
   }
   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }