diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 85e6af3d11..9c47403512 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -203,11 +203,9 @@ else()
     install(TARGETS mpi_stubs EXPORT LAMMPS_Targets LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
   endif()
   set_target_properties(mpi_stubs PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME lammps_mpi_stubs${LAMMPS_LIB_SUFFIX})
-  target_include_directories(mpi_stubs PUBLIC ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/STUBS)
-  target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE mpi_stubs)
-  if(BUILD_EXE AND BUILD_LIB)
-    target_link_libraries(lmp PRIVATE mpi_stubs)
-  endif()
+  target_include_directories(mpi_stubs PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/STUBS> $<INSTALL_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/lammps>)
+  install(FILES ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/STUBS/mpi.h DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/lammps)
+  target_link_libraries(lammps PUBLIC mpi_stubs)
   add_library(MPI::MPI_CXX ALIAS mpi_stubs)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/examples/COUPLE/simple/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/COUPLE/simple/CMakeLists.txt
index 5908076df0..d83f8885b2 100644
--- a/examples/COUPLE/simple/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/COUPLE/simple/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 add_executable(simple simple.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(simple LAMMPS::lammps MPI::MPI_CXX)
+target_link_libraries(simple LAMMPS::lammps)