diff --git a/crates/ruff_linter/src/checkers/ast/mod.rs b/crates/ruff_linter/src/checkers/ast/mod.rs
index 31069ac6c55fd4..2182e1bcc46a82 100644
--- a/crates/ruff_linter/src/checkers/ast/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/ruff_linter/src/checkers/ast/mod.rs
@@ -263,6 +263,34 @@ impl<'a> Checker<'a> {
     }
 }
 
+fn is_sys_path_modification(stmt: &Stmt, semantic: &SemanticModel) -> bool {
+    let Stmt::Expr(ast::StmtExpr { value, range: _ }) = stmt else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    let Expr::Call(ast::ExprCall { func, .. }) = value.as_ref() else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    semantic
+        .resolve_call_path(func.as_ref())
+        .is_some_and(|call_path| {
+            matches!(
+                call_path.as_slice(),
+                [
+                    "sys",
+                    "path",
+                    "append"
+                        | "insert"
+                        | "extend"
+                        | "remove"
+                        | "pop"
+                        | "clear"
+                        | "reverse"
+                        | "sort"
+                ]
+            )
+        })
+}
+
 impl<'a, 'b> Visitor<'b> for Checker<'a>
 where
     'b: 'a,
@@ -306,6 +334,7 @@ where
                 if !self.semantic.seen_import_boundary()
                     && !helpers::is_assignment_to_a_dunder(stmt)
                     && !helpers::in_nested_block(self.semantic.current_statements())
+                    && !is_sys_path_modification(stmt, self.semantic())
                 {
                     self.semantic.flags |= SemanticModelFlags::IMPORT_BOUNDARY;
                 }