diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 1e1876b724e..ce647f3c455 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 [submodule "third_party/protobuf"]
 	path = third_party/protobuf
 	url = https://github.com/google/protobuf.git
-	branch = v3.0.0-beta-3.1
+	branch = 3.0.0-beta-3
 [submodule "third_party/gflags"]
 	path = third_party/gflags
 	url = https://github.com/gflags/gflags.git
diff --git a/examples/cpp/helloworld/Makefile b/examples/cpp/helloworld/Makefile
index 780e5e427a7..b45b3c7ee0c 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/helloworld/Makefile
+++ b/examples/cpp/helloworld/Makefile
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ ifneq ($(HAS_VALID_PROTOC),true)
 	@echo "Please install Google protocol buffers 3.0.0 and its compiler."
 	@echo "You can find it here:"
 	@echo
-	@echo "   https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/tag/v3.0.0-beta-2"
+	@echo "   https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/tag/v3.0.0-beta-3.3"
 	@echo
 	@echo "Here is what I get when trying to evaluate your version of protoc:"
 	@echo
diff --git a/examples/cpp/route_guide/Makefile b/examples/cpp/route_guide/Makefile
index 11f2a00cc89..50ecf041f56 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/route_guide/Makefile
+++ b/examples/cpp/route_guide/Makefile
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ ifneq ($(HAS_VALID_PROTOC),true)
 	@echo "Please install Google protocol buffers 3.0.0 and its compiler."
 	@echo "You can find it here:"
 	@echo
-	@echo "   https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/tag/v3.0.0-beta-2"
+	@echo "   https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/tag/v3.0.0-beta-3.3"
 	@echo
 	@echo "Here is what I get when trying to evaluate your version of protoc:"
 	@echo
diff --git a/third_party/protobuf b/third_party/protobuf
index d4d13a4349e..bdeb215cab2 160000
--- a/third_party/protobuf
+++ b/third_party/protobuf
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit d4d13a4349e4e59d67f311185ddcc1890d956d7a
+Subproject commit bdeb215cab2985195325fcd5e70c3fa751f46e0f