diff --git a/open-vm-tools.changes b/open-vm-tools.changes
index 0bd60fc..3b295f7 100644
--- a/open-vm-tools.changes
+++ b/open-vm-tools.changes
@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-Wed Jun 14 09:32:53 UTC 2023 - Dominique Leuenberger <dimstar@opensuse.org>
-
-- pin to protobuf < 22 until grpc and open-vm-tools support
-  protobuf 22.
-
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue May  2 20:40:18 UTC 2023 - Jan Engelhardt <jengelh@inai.de>
 
diff --git a/open-vm-tools.spec b/open-vm-tools.spec
index 4f0751f..75ef8db 100644
--- a/open-vm-tools.spec
+++ b/open-vm-tools.spec
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ BuildRequires:  update-desktop-files
 BuildRequires:  containerd-devel
 BuildRequires:  grpc-devel
 BuildRequires:  libcurl-devel
-BuildRequires:  (pkgconfig(protobuf) >= 3.8.0 with pkgconfig(protobuf) < 22)
+BuildRequires:  protobuf-devel
 %define         arg_containerinfo --enable-containerinfo=yes
 %else
 %define         arg_containerinfo --enable-containerinfo=no