diff --git a/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake b/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
index 5535e87..6576b2e 100644
--- a/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
+++ b/tools/pybind11Tools.cmake
@@ -130,15 +130,16 @@ if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.11)
     APPEND
     PROPERTY INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES pybind11::pybind11 $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>)
 else()
+  add_library(pybind11::_ClassicPythonLibraries IMPORTED INTERFACE)
+  target_link_libraries(pybind11::_ClassicPythonLibraries INTERFACE ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
   target_link_libraries(
     pybind11::module
     INTERFACE
       pybind11::python_link_helper
-      "$<$<OR:$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>,$<PLATFORM_ID:Cygwin>>:$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>>"
-  )
+      "$<$<OR:$<PLATFORM_ID:Windows>,$<PLATFORM_ID:Cygwin>>:pybind11::_ClassicPythonLibraries>")
 
   target_link_libraries(pybind11::embed INTERFACE pybind11::pybind11
-                                                  $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}>)
+                                                  pybind11::_ClassicPythonLibraries)
 
 endif()