diff --git a/nix/cmake-install-path.patch b/nix/cmake-install-path.patch
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/cmake-install-path.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+diff --git a/cmake/install.cmake b/cmake/install.cmake
+index 9dd6e77..3c2e769 100644
+--- a/cmake/install.cmake
++++ b/cmake/install.cmake
+@@ -127,24 +127,20 @@ configure_file(protobuf-options.cmake
+ if (protobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES)
+   export(TARGETS libprotobuf-lite libprotobuf libprotoc protoc
+     NAMESPACE protobuf::
+-    FILE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}/protobuf-targets.cmake
++    FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/protobuf-targets.cmake
+   )
+ else (protobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES)
+   export(TARGETS libprotobuf-lite libprotobuf
+     NAMESPACE protobuf::
+-    FILE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}/protobuf-targets.cmake
++    FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/protobuf-targets.cmake
+   )
+ endif (protobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES)
+
+ install(EXPORT protobuf-targets
+   DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}"
++  FILE protobuf-targets.cmake
+   NAMESPACE protobuf::
+-  COMPONENT protobuf-export)
+-
+-install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}/
+-  DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_CMAKEDIR}"
+   COMPONENT protobuf-export
+-  PATTERN protobuf-targets.cmake EXCLUDE
+ )
+
+ option(protobuf_INSTALL_EXAMPLES "Install the examples folder" OFF)
diff --git a/nix/overlay.nix b/nix/overlay.nix
--- a/nix/overlay.nix
+++ b/nix/overlay.nix
@@ -13,5 +13,7 @@
   # add packages meant for just this repository
   amqp-cpp = prev.callPackage ./amqp-cpp.nix { };
 
+  protobuf_3_15_cmake = prev.callPackage ./protobuf_3_15.nix { };
+
   devShell = final.callPackage ./dev-shell.nix { };
 }
diff --git a/nix/protobuf_3_15.nix b/nix/protobuf_3_15.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/protobuf_3_15.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# The cmake version of this build is meant to enable both cmake and .pc being exported
+# this is important because grpc exports a .cmake file which also expects for protobuf
+# to have been exported through cmake as well.
+{ lib, stdenv
+, buildPackages
+, cmake
+, fetchFromGitHub
+, fetchpatch
+, gtest
+, zlib
+}:
+
+stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
+  pname = "protobuf";
+  version = "3.15.8";
+
+  src = fetchFromGitHub {
+    owner = "protocolbuffers";
+    repo = "protobuf";
+    rev = "v${version}";
+    sha256 = "sha256-G+fU6YWfpkRDJ9Xf+/zLmd52/1vTtPoZdugZDLtCc+A=";
+  };
+
+  # re-create git submodules
+  postPatch = ''
+    rm -rf gmock
+    cp -r ${gtest.src}/googlemock third_party/gmock
+    cp -r ${gtest.src}/googletest third_party/
+
+    chmod -R a+w third_party/
+    ln -s ../googletest third_party/gmock/gtest
+    ln -s ../gmock third_party/googletest/googlemock
+    ln -s $(pwd)/third_party/googletest third_party/googletest/googletest
+  '' + lib.optionalString stdenv.isDarwin ''
+    substituteInPlace src/google/protobuf/testing/googletest.cc \
+    --replace 'tmpnam(b)' '"'$TMPDIR'/foo"'
+  '';
+
+  patches = [
+    # This is an adjusted patch for https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/pull/9822
+    ./cmake-install-path.patch
+  ];
+
+  # There's a top-level BUILD file which doesn't allow for APFS to create a directory named "build"
+  dontUseCmakeBuildDir = true;
+  # Point cmake setup hook to cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+  cmakeDir = "cmake";
+
+  nativeBuildInputs = [
+    cmake
+  ];
+
+  buildInputs = [
+    zlib
+  ];
+
+  cmakeFlags = lib.optionals (!stdenv.targetPlatform.isStatic) [
+    "-Dprotobuf_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON"
+  ];
+
+  enableParallelBuilding = true;
+
+  # unfortunately the shared libraries have yet to been patched by nix, thus tests will fail
+  doCheck = false;
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "Google's data interchange format";
+    longDescription = ''
+      Protocol Buffers are a way of encoding structured data in an efficient
+      yet extensible format. Google uses Protocol Buffers for almost all of
+      its internal RPC protocols and file formats.
+    '';
+    license = lib.licenses.bsd3;
+    platforms = lib.platforms.unix;
+    homepage = "https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/";
+  };
+}