diff --git a/src/objective-c/examples/BUILD b/src/objective-c/examples/BUILD
index 4f333cd7502..6689a5a28b8 100644
--- a/src/objective-c/examples/BUILD
+++ b/src/objective-c/examples/BUILD
@@ -15,20 +15,25 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 
-load("//src/objective-c:grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl", "local_objc_grpc_library")
+load(
+    "//src/objective-c:grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl", 
+    "local_objc_grpc_library",
+    "proto_library_objc_wrapper",
+)
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios.bzl", "ios_application")
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:tvos.bzl", "tvos_application")
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:watchos.bzl", "watchos_application", "watchos_extension")
 
-proto_library(
+proto_library_objc_wrapper(
     name = "messages_proto",
     srcs = ["RemoteTestClient/messages.proto"],
 )
 
-proto_library(
+proto_library_objc_wrapper(
     name = "test_proto",
     srcs = ["RemoteTestClient/test.proto"],
     deps = [":messages_proto"],
+    use_well_known_protos = True,
 )
 
 # use objc_grpc_library in bazel:objc_grpc_library.bzl when developing outside the repo
diff --git a/src/objective-c/grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl b/src/objective-c/grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl
index 51206c1e903..7035e963b94 100644
--- a/src/objective-c/grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl
+++ b/src/objective-c/grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl
@@ -30,7 +30,20 @@ load(
     "generate_objc_srcs",
     "generate_objc_non_arc_srcs"
 )
-load("//bazel:protobuf.bzl", "well_known_proto_libs")
+
+def proto_library_objc_wrapper(
+    name,
+    srcs,
+    deps = [],
+    use_well_known_protos = False):
+    """proto_library for adding dependencies to google/protobuf protos
+    use_well_known_protos - ignored in open source version
+    """
+    native.proto_library(
+        name = name,
+        srcs = srcs,
+        deps = deps,
+    )
 
 def grpc_objc_testing_library(
         name,
@@ -53,7 +66,7 @@ def grpc_objc_testing_library(
         includes: added to search path, always [the path to objc directory]
         deps: dependencies
     """
-    
+
     additional_deps = [
         ":RemoteTest",
         "//src/objective-c:grpc_objc_client_internal_testing",
@@ -61,7 +74,7 @@ def grpc_objc_testing_library(
 
     if not name == "TestConfigs":
         additional_deps += [":TestConfigs"]
-    
+
     native.objc_library(
         name = name,
         hdrs = hdrs,
diff --git a/src/objective-c/tests/BUILD b/src/objective-c/tests/BUILD
index 80c12fba548..2d0a57ac21d 100644
--- a/src/objective-c/tests/BUILD
+++ b/src/objective-c/tests/BUILD
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:private"])
 load(
     "//src/objective-c:grpc_objc_internal_library.bzl",
     "grpc_objc_testing_library",
-    "local_objc_grpc_library"
+    "local_objc_grpc_library",
+    "proto_library_objc_wrapper",
 )
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:resources.bzl", "apple_resource_bundle")
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios.bzl", "ios_application", "ios_unit_test")
@@ -30,15 +31,16 @@ load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:tvos.bzl", "tvos_application", "tvos_unit_
 
 exports_files(["LICENSE"])
 
-proto_library(
+proto_library_objc_wrapper(
     name = "messages_proto",
     srcs = ["RemoteTestClient/messages.proto"],
 )
 
-proto_library(
+proto_library_objc_wrapper(
     name = "test_proto",
     srcs = ["RemoteTestClient/test.proto"],
     deps = [":messages_proto"],
+    use_well_known_protos = True,
 )
 
 local_objc_grpc_library(