diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 472a8fe..ed62e72 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ find_package(Boost REQUIRED COMPONENTS iostreams)
 find_package(Ceres REQUIRED COMPONENTS SparseLinearAlgebraLibrary)
 find_package(Eigen3 REQUIRED)
 find_package(LuaGoogle REQUIRED)
-find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
+find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED 3.0.0)
 
 include(FindPkgConfig)
 PKG_SEARCH_MODULE(CAIRO REQUIRED cairo>=1.12.16)
diff --git a/Dockerfile.jessie b/Dockerfile.jessie
index 29945ca..27ecfb9 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.jessie
+++ b/Dockerfile.jessie
@@ -21,5 +21,7 @@ COPY scripts/install_debs.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_debs.sh && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 COPY scripts/install_ceres.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_ceres.sh && rm -rf ceres-solver
+COPY scripts/install_proto3.sh cartographer/scripts/
+RUN cartographer/scripts/install_proto3.sh && rm -rf protobuf
 COPY . cartographer
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_cartographer.sh && rm -rf cartographer
diff --git a/Dockerfile.stretch b/Dockerfile.stretch
index 2f350d5..6dece4e 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.stretch
+++ b/Dockerfile.stretch
@@ -21,5 +21,7 @@ COPY scripts/install_debs.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_debs.sh && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 COPY scripts/install_ceres.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_ceres.sh && rm -rf ceres-solver
+COPY scripts/install_proto3.sh cartographer/scripts/
+RUN cartographer/scripts/install_proto3.sh && rm -rf protobuf
 COPY . cartographer
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_cartographer.sh && rm -rf cartographer
diff --git a/Dockerfile.trusty b/Dockerfile.trusty
index 9180fd5..c830d56 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.trusty
+++ b/Dockerfile.trusty
@@ -17,5 +17,7 @@ COPY scripts/install_debs.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_debs.sh && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 COPY scripts/install_ceres.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_ceres.sh && rm -rf ceres-solver
+COPY scripts/install_proto3.sh cartographer/scripts/
+RUN cartographer/scripts/install_proto3.sh && rm -rf protobuf
 COPY . cartographer
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_cartographer.sh && rm -rf cartographer
diff --git a/Dockerfile.xenial b/Dockerfile.xenial
index edd3029..9d68072 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.xenial
+++ b/Dockerfile.xenial
@@ -21,5 +21,7 @@ COPY scripts/install_debs.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_debs.sh && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 COPY scripts/install_ceres.sh cartographer/scripts/
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_ceres.sh && rm -rf ceres-solver
+COPY scripts/install_proto3.sh cartographer/scripts/
+RUN cartographer/scripts/install_proto3.sh && rm -rf protobuf
 COPY . cartographer
 RUN cartographer/scripts/install_cartographer.sh && rm -rf cartographer
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index 4dd0572..1aab66c 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -66,17 +66,18 @@ On Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty):
 
 .. literalinclude:: ../../scripts/install_debs.sh
   :language: bash
-  :linenos:
   :lines: 20-
 
 .. literalinclude:: ../../scripts/install_ceres.sh
   :language: bash
-  :linenos:
+  :lines: 20-
+
+.. literalinclude:: ../../scripts/install_proto3.sh
+  :language: bash
   :lines: 20-
 
 .. literalinclude:: ../../scripts/install_cartographer.sh
   :language: bash
-  :linenos:
   :lines: 20-
 
 .. _system-requirements:
diff --git a/scripts/install_debs.sh b/scripts/install_debs.sh
index a458311..178aa07 100755
--- a/scripts/install_debs.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_debs.sh
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ sudo apt-get install -y \
     libgflags-dev \
     libgoogle-glog-dev \
     liblua5.2-dev \
-    libprotobuf-dev \
     libsuitesparse-dev \
     ninja-build \
-    protobuf-compiler \
     python-sphinx
diff --git a/scripts/install_proto3.sh b/scripts/install_proto3.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..18b7502
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install_proto3.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Copyright 2016 The Cartographer Authors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o verbose
+
+# Build and install proto3.
+git clone https://github.com/google/protobuf.git
+cd protobuf
+mkdir build
+cd build
+cmake -G Ninja \
+  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+  -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+  ../cmake
+ninja
+sudo ninja install