diff --git a/Help/release/dev/FindPatch.rst b/Help/release/dev/FindPatch.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31efa66add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/FindPatch.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+FindPatch
+---------
+
+* The :module:`FindPatch` module now supports running in script mode by skipping
+  the creation of the imported target.
diff --git a/Modules/FindPatch.cmake b/Modules/FindPatch.cmake
index 62277f8959..65a21bee30 100644
--- a/Modules/FindPatch.cmake
+++ b/Modules/FindPatch.cmake
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ The following :prop_tgt:`IMPORTED` targets are also defined:
 ``Patch::patch``
   The command-line executable.
 
+  .. versionchanged:: 3.32
+    Imported target is defined only when :prop_gbl:`CMAKE_ROLE` is ``PROJECT``.
+
 Example usage:
 
 .. code-block:: cmake
@@ -60,12 +63,19 @@ endif()
 
 mark_as_advanced(Patch_EXECUTABLE)
 
-if(Patch_EXECUTABLE AND NOT TARGET Patch::patch)
+get_property(_patch_role GLOBAL PROPERTY CMAKE_ROLE)
+
+if(
+  _patch_role STREQUAL "PROJECT"
+  AND Patch_EXECUTABLE
+  AND NOT TARGET Patch::patch
+)
   add_executable(Patch::patch IMPORTED)
   set_property(TARGET Patch::patch PROPERTY IMPORTED_LOCATION ${Patch_EXECUTABLE})
 endif()
 
 unset(_patch_path)
+unset(_patch_role)
 unset(_doc)
 
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/FindPackageHandleStandardArgs.cmake)