diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 81c35865..dd9ce972 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@
     <junit.version>4.13.2</junit.version>
     <mockito-all.version>1.8.5</mockito-all.version>
     <hbase-thirdparty.version>4.1.4</hbase-thirdparty.version>
+    <!-- Must match the version in hbase-thirdparty above ! -->
+    <thirdparty.protobuf.version>3.21.12</thirdparty.protobuf.version>
     <hadoop-two.version>2.10.0</hadoop-two.version>
     <hadoop-three.version>3.2.4</hadoop-three.version>
     <hadoop.version>${hadoop-three.version}</hadoop.version>
@@ -156,8 +158,6 @@
     <enforcer.version>3.0.0</enforcer.version>
     <extra.enforcer.version>1.5.1</extra.enforcer.version>
     <restrict-imports.enforcer.version>0.14.0</restrict-imports.enforcer.version>
-    <!--Internally we use a different version of protobuf. See hbase-protocol-shaded-->
-    <external.protobuf.version>2.5.0</external.protobuf.version>
     <protobuf.plugin.version>0.5.0</protobuf.plugin.version>
     <commons-io.version>2.18.0</commons-io.version>
     <avro.version>1.11.4</avro.version>
@@ -179,11 +179,6 @@
   </properties>
   <dependencyManagement>
     <dependencies>
-      <dependency>
-        <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
-        <artifactId>protobuf-java</artifactId>
-        <version>${external.protobuf.version}</version>
-      </dependency>
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
         <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
diff --git a/spark/hbase-spark-protocol/pom.xml b/spark/hbase-spark-protocol/pom.xml
index 20e752c7..da946925 100644
--- a/spark/hbase-spark-protocol/pom.xml
+++ b/spark/hbase-spark-protocol/pom.xml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.protobuf</groupId>
       <artifactId>protobuf-java</artifactId>
+      <version>${thirdparty.protobuf.version}</version>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
 
diff --git a/spark/pom.xml b/spark/pom.xml
index 3f1eb21c..b770e6b9 100644
--- a/spark/pom.xml
+++ b/spark/pom.xml
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
           <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
           <version>${protobuf.plugin.version}</version>
           <configuration>
-            <protocArtifact>com.google.protobuf:protoc:${external.protobuf.version}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}</protocArtifact>
+            <protocArtifact>com.google.protobuf:protoc:${thirdparty.protobuf.version}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}</protocArtifact>
             <protoSourceRoot>${basedir}/src/main/protobuf/</protoSourceRoot>
             <clearOutputDirectory>false</clearOutputDirectory>
             <checkStaleness>true</checkStaleness>