diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ee4563b6e..1778c7b7f2 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -290,13 +290,14 @@ if(BUILD_MPI)
       target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLAMMPS_LONGLONG_TO_LONG)
     endif()
   endif()
-  target_link_libraries(lammps PUBLIC MPI::MPI_CXX)
+  add_library(MPI::ANY_CXX ALIAS MPI::MPI_CXX)
 else()
   target_sources(lammps PRIVATE ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/STUBS/mpi.cpp)
   add_library(mpi_stubs INTERFACE)
   target_include_directories(mpi_stubs INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR}/STUBS>)
-  target_link_libraries(lammps PUBLIC mpi_stubs)
+  add_library(MPI::ANY_CXX ALIAS mpi_stubs)
 endif()
+target_link_libraries(lammps PUBLIC MPI::ANY_CXX)
 
 set(LAMMPS_SIZES "smallbig" CACHE STRING "LAMMPS integer sizes (smallsmall: all 32-bit, smallbig: 64-bit #atoms #timesteps, bigbig: also 64-bit imageint, 64-bit atom ids)")
 set(LAMMPS_SIZES_VALUES smallbig bigbig smallsmall)
@@ -577,11 +578,7 @@ if(PKG_ATC)
   if(LAMMPS_SIZES STREQUAL "BIGBIG")
     message(FATAL_ERROR "The ATC Package is not compatible with -DLAMMPS_BIGBIG")
   endif()
-  if(BUILD_MPI)
-    target_link_libraries(atc PRIVATE ${LAPACK_LIBRARIES} MPI::MPI_CXX)
-  else()
-    target_link_libraries(atc PRIVATE ${LAPACK_LIBRARIES} mpi_stubs)
-  endif()
+  target_link_libraries(atc PRIVATE ${LAPACK_LIBRARIES} MPI::ANY_CXX)
   target_include_directories(atc PRIVATE ${LAMMPS_SOURCE_DIR})
   target_compile_definitions(atc PRIVATE -DLAMMPS_${LAMMPS_SIZES})
 endif()
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
index fe15917f47..feee45ee68 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/Packages/GPU.cmake
@@ -422,11 +422,7 @@ RegisterStylesExt(${GPU_SOURCES_DIR} gpu GPU_SOURCES)
 RegisterFixStyle(${GPU_SOURCES_DIR}/fix_gpu.h)
 
 get_property(GPU_SOURCES GLOBAL PROPERTY GPU_SOURCES)
-if(BUILD_MPI)
-  target_link_libraries(gpu PRIVATE MPI::MPI_CXX)
-else()
-  target_link_libraries(gpu PRIVATE mpi_stubs)
-endif()
+target_link_libraries(gpu PRIVATE MPI::ANY_CXX)
 
 target_compile_definitions(gpu PRIVATE -DLAMMPS_${LAMMPS_SIZES})
 set_target_properties(gpu PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME lammps_gpu${LAMMPS_MACHINE})