diff --git a/bindings/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt b/bindings/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
index 6ac821bb52..a11452d04d 100644
--- a/bindings/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/bindings/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ if(ADIOS2_HAVE_MPI)
   )
   set_property(TARGET adios2_cxx11_mpi PROPERTY EXPORT_NAME cxx11_mpi)
   set_property(TARGET adios2_cxx11_mpi PROPERTY OUTPUT_NAME adios2${ADIOS2_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}_cxx11_mpi)
-  target_link_libraries(adios2_cxx11_mpi PUBLIC adios2_cxx11 PRIVATE adios2_core_mpi PUBLIC MPI::MPI_CXX)
+  target_link_libraries(adios2_cxx11_mpi PUBLIC adios2_cxx11 PRIVATE adios2_core_mpi PUBLIC MPI::MPI_C)
   set(maybe_adios2_cxx11_mpi adios2_cxx11_mpi)
   target_compile_definitions(adios2_cxx11_mpi INTERFACE ADIOS2_USE_MPI)
   add_library(adios2::cxx11_mpi ALIAS adios2_cxx11_mpi)
diff --git a/testing/install/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt b/testing/install/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
index d7dcca6a4f..7a01b6b252 100644
--- a/testing/install/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/testing/install/CXX11/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@ target_link_libraries(adios_cxx11_test adios2::cxx11)
 add_test(NAME adios_cxx11_test COMMAND adios_cxx11_test)
 
 if(ADIOS2_HAVE_MPI)
+  # Avoid using MPI::MPI_CXX
+  enable_language(C)
+
   find_package(MPI REQUIRED)
+  set(mpilib MPI::MPI_C)
   set(src main_mpi.cxx)
-  set(mpilib MPI::MPI_CXX)
   set(mpiexec ${MPIEXEC_EXECUTABLE} ${MPIEXEC_EXTRA_FLAGS})
+  add_compile_definitions(OMPI_SKIP_MPICXX MPICH_SKIP_MPICXX)
 
   # Test using mpi C++11 bindings through adios2::cxx11_mpi target.
   add_executable(adios_cxx11_mpi_test main_mpi.cxx)