diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index d1afa5a..4ad5e6b 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ module(
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_features", version = "1.19.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "27.0")
 
 cc_configure = use_extension("//cc:extensions.bzl", "cc_configure_extension")
 use_repo(cc_configure, "local_config_cc", "local_config_cc_toolchains")
diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index 4955620..196b610 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -43,3 +43,10 @@ http_archive(
     strip_prefix = "rules_testing-0.6.0",
     url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_testing/releases/download/v0.6.0/rules_testing-v0.6.0.tar.gz",
 )
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "protobuf",
+    sha256 = "da288bf1daa6c04d03a9051781caa52aceb9163586bff9aa6cfb12f69b9395aa",
+    strip_prefix = "protobuf-27.0",
+    url = "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v27.0/protobuf-27.0.tar.gz",
+)
diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bzlmod b/cc/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
similarity index 100%
rename from WORKSPACE.bzlmod
rename to cc/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
diff --git a/cc/defs.bzl b/cc/defs.bzl
index 3448e77..404a63e 100644
--- a/cc/defs.bzl
+++ b/cc/defs.bzl
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 """Starlark rules for building C++ projects."""
 
+load("@protobuf//bazel:cc_proto_library.bzl", _cc_proto_library = "cc_proto_library")
 load("//cc:cc_binary.bzl", _cc_binary = "cc_binary")
 load("//cc:cc_import.bzl", _cc_import = "cc_import")
 load("//cc:cc_library.bzl", _cc_library = "cc_library")
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@ cc_shared_library = _cc_shared_library
 objc_library = _objc_library
 objc_import = _objc_import
 
+cc_proto_library = _cc_proto_library  # For compatibility with current users
+
 # Toolchain rules
 
 cc_toolchain = _cc_toolchain
diff --git a/cc/private/toolchain/unix_cc_configure.bzl b/cc/private/toolchain/unix_cc_configure.bzl
index 935fa58..ac0e0e1 100644
--- a/cc/private/toolchain/unix_cc_configure.bzl
+++ b/cc/private/toolchain/unix_cc_configure.bzl
@@ -611,7 +611,6 @@ def configure_unix_toolchain(repository_ctx, cpu_value, overridden_tools):
     repository_ctx.template(
         "BUILD",
         paths["@rules_cc//cc/private/toolchain:BUILD.tpl"],
-        # @unsorted-dict-items
         {
             "%{abi_libc_version}": escape_string(get_env_var(
                 repository_ctx,