diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/pip.py b/lib/ansible/modules/pip.py
index 33591aa0ee9..df84fbd9352 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/pip.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/pip.py
@@ -110,6 +110,13 @@ options:
         to specify desired umask mode as an octal string, (e.g., "0022").
     type: str
     version_added: "2.1"
+  break_system_packages:
+    description:
+      - Allow pip to modify an externally-managed Python installation as defined by PEP 668.
+      - This is typically required when installing packages outside a virtual environment on modern systems.
+    type: bool
+    default: false
+    version_added: "2.17"
 extends_documentation_fragment:
   -  action_common_attributes
 attributes:
@@ -121,7 +128,7 @@ attributes:
         platforms: posix
 notes:
    - Python installations marked externally-managed (as defined by PEP668) cannot be updated by pip versions >= 23.0.1 without the use of
-     a virtual environment or setting the environment variable ``PIP_BREAK_SYSTEM_PACKAGES=1``.
+     a virtual environment or setting the O(break_system_packages) option.
    - The virtualenv (U(http://www.virtualenv.org/)) must be
      installed on the remote host if the virtualenv parameter is specified and
      the virtualenv needs to be created.
@@ -685,6 +692,7 @@ def main():
             chdir=dict(type='path'),
             executable=dict(type='path'),
             umask=dict(type='str'),
+            break_system_packages=dict(type='bool', default=False),
         ),
         required_one_of=[['name', 'requirements']],
         mutually_exclusive=[['name', 'requirements'], ['executable', 'virtualenv']],
@@ -789,6 +797,11 @@ def main():
         if extra_args:
             cmd.extend(shlex.split(extra_args))
 
+        if module.params['break_system_packages']:
+            # Using an env var instead of the `--break-system-packages` option, to avoid failing under pip 23.0.0 and earlier.
+            # See: https://github.com/pypa/pip/pull/11780
+            os.environ['PIP_BREAK_SYSTEM_PACKAGES'] = '1'
+
         if name:
             cmd.extend(to_native(p) for p in packages)
         elif requirements:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/aliases b/test/integration/targets/pip/aliases
index aa159d93aea..9ad637e3941 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/pip/aliases
+++ b/test/integration/targets/pip/aliases
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 destructive
 shippable/posix/group2
+needs/root
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/files/sample-project/pyproject.toml b/test/integration/targets/pip/files/sample-project/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d1ea3b1c1eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/pip/files/sample-project/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[project]
+name = "sample-project"
+version = "1.0.0"
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/files/sample-project/src/sample_project/__init__.py b/test/integration/targets/pip/files/sample-project/src/sample_project/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/break_system_packages.yml b/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/break_system_packages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3683720473f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/break_system_packages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+- name: Get the pip version
+  command: "{{ ansible_python_interpreter }} -c 'import pip; print(pip.__version__)'"
+  register: pip_version
+
+- when: pip_version.stdout is version("23.0.1", ">=")
+  block:
+    - name: Locate the Python externally-managed marker file
+      command: |
+        {{ ansible_python_interpreter }} -c 'import sys, sysconfig; print(f"""{sysconfig.get_path("stdlib", sysconfig.get_default_scheme()
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 10) else sysconfig._get_default_scheme())}/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED""")'
+      register: externally_managed_marker
+
+    - name: Detect if Python is externally-managed
+      stat:
+        path: "{{ externally_managed_marker.stdout }}"
+      register: externally_managed
+
+    - name: Mark Python as externally managed
+      file:
+        path: "{{ externally_managed_marker.stdout }}"
+        state: touch
+      when: not externally_managed.stat.exists
+
+    - block:
+      - name: Copy the sample project to the target
+        copy:
+          src: sample-project/
+          dest: "{{ remote_sample_project }}"
+
+      - name: Attempt to pip install the sample project without a venv
+        pip:
+          name: "{{ remote_sample_project }}"
+        register: pip_install
+        failed_when: pip_install is success
+
+      - name: Attempt to pip install the sample project without a venv using break_system_packages
+        pip:
+          name: "{{ remote_sample_project }}"
+          break_system_packages: true
+
+      - name: Remove the sample project without using break_system_packages
+        pip:
+          name: sample-project
+          state: absent
+        register: pip_uninstall
+        failed_when: pip_uninstall is success
+
+      - name: Remove the sample project using break_system_packages
+        pip:
+          name: sample-project
+          state: absent
+          break_system_packages: true
+
+      always:
+        - name: Unmark Python as externally managed
+          file:
+            path: "{{ externally_managed_marker.stdout }}"
+            state: absent
+          when: not externally_managed.stat.exists
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/main.yml
index a3770702238..b05b04f908b 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/pip/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 # Current pip unconditionally uses md5.
 # We can re-enable if pip switches to a different hash or allows us to not check md5.
 
+- include_tasks:
+    file: break_system_packages.yml
+
 - name: Python 2
   when: ansible_python.version.major == 2
   block:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/pip/vars/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/pip/vars/main.yml
index 2e87abccfa4..34d481b26ee 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/pip/vars/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/pip/vars/main.yml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ pip_test_pkg_ver_unsatisfied:
 pip_test_modules:
   - sample
   - jiphy
+remote_sample_project: "{{ remote_tmp_dir }}/sample-project"