diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 453acedb593..9c7fb97e54e 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 build --cxxopt=-std=c++17 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++17
+build --@com_google_protobuf//bazel/flags:allow_nonstandard_protoc=true
 
 common:skip_android --deleted_packages=android,binder
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 293df736527..7a5798fff7e 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -54,7 +54,13 @@ bazel_dep(name = "bazel_jar_jar", version = "0.1.11.bcr.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "googleapis", version = "0.0.0-20260514-1dbb1a14", repo_name = "com_google_googleapis")
 bazel_dep(name = "grpc-proto", version = "0.0.0-20240627-ec30f58.bcr.1", repo_name = "io_grpc_grpc_proto")
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "35.1", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "36.0-rc2", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
+archive_override(
+    module_name = "protobuf",
+    integrity = "sha256-tWR/2Ank29ZSNjgof/Zn5N8BbUZCZ+LtTy4ZUb+wks8=",
+    strip_prefix = "protobuf-36.0-rc2",
+    urls = ["https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v36.0-rc2/protobuf-36.0-rc2.tar.gz"],
+)
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "7.1.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_android", version = "0.7.3")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
diff --git a/buildscripts/kokoro/windows32.bat b/buildscripts/kokoro/windows32.bat
index 90c74a57f1a..daf887e41fc 100644
--- a/buildscripts/kokoro/windows32.bat
+++ b/buildscripts/kokoro/windows32.bat
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ cd "%WORKSPACE%"
 
 SET TARGET_ARCH=x86_32
 SET FAIL_ON_WARNINGS=true
-SET PROTOBUF_VER=35.1
+SET PROTOBUF_VER=36.0-rc2
 SET PKG_CONFIG_PATH=%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper32\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\lib\\pkgconfig
 SET VC_PROTOBUF_LIBS=/LIBPATH:%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper32\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\lib
 SET VC_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE=%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper32\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\include
diff --git a/buildscripts/kokoro/windows64.bat b/buildscripts/kokoro/windows64.bat
index dba07807d03..b710f2ef1f2 100644
--- a/buildscripts/kokoro/windows64.bat
+++ b/buildscripts/kokoro/windows64.bat
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ cd "%WORKSPACE%"
 
 SET TARGET_ARCH=x86_64
 SET FAIL_ON_WARNINGS=true
-SET PROTOBUF_VER=35.1
+SET PROTOBUF_VER=36.0-rc2
 SET PKG_CONFIG_PATH=%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper64\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\lib\\pkgconfig
 SET VC_PROTOBUF_LIBS=/LIBPATH:%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper64\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\lib
 SET VC_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE=%ESCWORKSPACE%\\grpc-java-helper64\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\build\\protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\\include
diff --git a/buildscripts/make_dependencies.bat b/buildscripts/make_dependencies.bat
index befb9c78baf..570fadf621d 100644
--- a/buildscripts/make_dependencies.bat
+++ b/buildscripts/make_dependencies.bat
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 choco install -y pkgconfiglite --allow-empty-checksums
 choco install -y openjdk --version=17.0
 set PATH=%PATH%;"c:\Program Files\OpenJDK\jdk-17\bin"
-set PROTOBUF_VER=35.1
-set ABSL_VERSION=20250127.1
+set PROTOBUF_VER=36.0-rc2
+set ABSL_VERSION=20250512.1
 set CMAKE_NAME=cmake-3.26.3-windows-x86_64
 
 if not exist "protobuf-%PROTOBUF_VER%\build\Release\" (
diff --git a/buildscripts/make_dependencies.sh b/buildscripts/make_dependencies.sh
index 600e2d40a1b..d71d50db816 100755
--- a/buildscripts/make_dependencies.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/make_dependencies.sh
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # Build protoc
 set -evux -o pipefail
 
-PROTOBUF_VERSION=35.1
-ABSL_VERSION=20250127.1
+PROTOBUF_VERSION=36.0-rc2
+ABSL_VERSION=20250512.1
 
 # ARCH is x86_64 bit unless otherwise specified.
 ARCH="${ARCH:-x86_64}"
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ if [ -f ${INSTALL_DIR}/bin/protoc ]; then
   echo "Not building protobuf. Already built"
 # TODO(ejona): swap to `brew install --devel protobuf` once it is up-to-date
 else
-  if [[ ! -d "protobuf-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}" ]]; then
+  if [[ ! -d "protobuf-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}" || ! -d "abseil-cpp-${ABSL_VERSION}" ]]; then
     curl -Ls "https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v${PROTOBUF_VERSION}/protobuf-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}.tar.gz" | tar xz
     curl -Ls "https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/archive/refs/tags/${ABSL_VERSION}.tar.gz" | tar xz
   fi
diff --git a/examples/.bazelrc b/examples/.bazelrc
index 53485cb9743..92da143da65 100644
--- a/examples/.bazelrc
+++ b/examples/.bazelrc
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 build --cxxopt=-std=c++17 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++17
+build --@com_google_protobuf//bazel/flags:allow_nonstandard_protoc=true
diff --git a/examples/MODULE.bazel b/examples/MODULE.bazel
index f3294bd8800..362dae9d000 100644
--- a/examples/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/examples/MODULE.bazel
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 bazel_dep(name = "grpc-java", version = "1.84.0-SNAPSHOT", repo_name = "io_grpc_grpc_java")  # CURRENT_GRPC_VERSION
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "9.3.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "grpc-proto", version = "0.0.0-20240627-ec30f58", repo_name = "io_grpc_grpc_proto")
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "33.1", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "36.0-rc2", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
+archive_override(
+    module_name = "protobuf",
+    integrity = "sha256-tWR/2Ank29ZSNjgof/Zn5N8BbUZCZ+LtTy4ZUb+wks8=",
+    strip_prefix = "protobuf-36.0-rc2",
+    urls = ["https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v36.0-rc2/protobuf-36.0-rc2.tar.gz"],
+)
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_jvm_external", version = "6.0")
 
 # Do not use this override in your own MODULE.bazel. It is unnecessary when
diff --git a/repositories.bzl b/repositories.bzl
index 0bbdfb9c23d..5c1f527b0c7 100644
--- a/repositories.bzl
+++ b/repositories.bzl
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ def com_google_protobuf():
     # This statement defines the @com_google_protobuf repo.
     http_archive(
         name = "com_google_protobuf",
-        sha256 = "f0b6838e7522a8da96126d487068c959bc624926368f3024ac8fd03abd0a1ac4",
-        strip_prefix = "protobuf-35.1",
-        urls = ["https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v35.1/protobuf-35.1.tar.gz"],
+        sha256 = "b5647fd809e4dbd6523638287ff667e4df016d464267e2ed4f2e1951bfb092cf",
+        strip_prefix = "protobuf-36.0-rc2",
+        urls = ["https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v36.0-rc2/protobuf-36.0-rc2.tar.gz"],
     )
 
 def io_grpc_grpc_proto():