diff --git a/cmake/FindExodusII.cmake b/cmake/FindExodusII.cmake
index 27e2c84..b28fd0b 100644
--- a/cmake/FindExodusII.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindExodusII.cmake
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ find_package_handle_standard_args(
     VERSION_VAR EXODUSII_VERSION
 )
 
+if (EXODUSII_FOUND AND NOT TARGET exodusii::exodusii)
+    add_library(exodusii::exodusii UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+    set_target_properties(exodusii::exodusii
+        PROPERTIES
+            IMPORTED_LOCATION "${EXODUSII_LIBRARY}"
+            INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${EXODUSII_INCLUDE_DIR}"
+    )
+endif()
+
 mark_as_advanced(FORCE
     EXODUSII_INCLUDE_DIR
     EXODUSII_LIBRARY
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f952a7..bec58d6 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ target_link_libraries(
     PUBLIC
         fmt::fmt
     PRIVATE
-        ${EXODUSII_LIBRARY}
+        exodusii::exodusii
         ${NETCDF_LIBRARY}
         ${HDF5_LIBRARIES}
 )