diff --git a/swh/lister/cpan/lister.py b/swh/lister/cpan/lister.py
--- a/swh/lister/cpan/lister.py
+++ b/swh/lister/cpan/lister.py
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@
         "version",
     ]
     OPTIONAL_DOC_FIELDS = ["date", "author", "stat.size", "name", "metadata.author"]
-    ORIGIN_URL_PATTERN = "https://metacpan.org/dist/{module_name}"
+    # CPAN hosts legacy modules known as backpan that do not have an HTML landing page
+    # so use fake origin URL pattern below instead
+    ORIGIN_URL_PATTERN = "cpan://{author}/{module_name}"
     EXTRINSIC_METADATA_URL_PATTERN = BASE_URL + "/release/{author}/{release_name}"
 
     def __init__(
@@ -175,10 +177,13 @@
 
         for module_name in module_names:
             module_metadata = self.module_metadata[module_name]
+            author = module_metadata[0]["cpan_author"]
             yield ListedOrigin(
                 lister_id=self.lister_obj.id,
                 visit_type=self.VISIT_TYPE,
-                url=self.ORIGIN_URL_PATTERN.format(module_name=module_name),
+                url=self.ORIGIN_URL_PATTERN.format(
+                    author=author, module_name=module_name
+                ),
                 last_update=max(self.release_dates[module_name]),
                 extra_loader_arguments={
                     "artifacts": self.artifacts[module_name],
diff --git a/swh/lister/cpan/tests/test_lister.py b/swh/lister/cpan/tests/test_lister.py
--- a/swh/lister/cpan/tests/test_lister.py
+++ b/swh/lister/cpan/tests/test_lister.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
         author = release["_source"]["author"]
         author_fullname = release["_source"]["metadata"]["author"][0]
         date = release["_source"]["date"]
-        origin_url = f"https://metacpan.org/dist/{distribution}"
+        origin_url = f"cpan://{author}/{distribution}"
 
         version = get_module_version(distribution, version, release_name)