diff --git a/upbc/BUILD b/upbc/BUILD
index 309d363319..419ada371a 100644
--- a/upbc/BUILD
+++ b/upbc/BUILD
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ cc_binary(
         "//:message_accessors",
         "//:mini_table",
         "//:port",
-        "//upbc:upbdev",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -206,6 +205,21 @@ bootstrap_cc_library(
     ],
 )
 
+cc_library(
+    name = "upbdev_ffi_headers",
+    srcs = [
+        "upbdev.h",
+    ],
+    copts = ["-DUPB_BUILD_API"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = [
+        ":upbdev",
+        "//:base",
+        "//:mem",
+        "//:port",
+    ],
+)
+
 cc_library(
     name = "upbdev",
     srcs = [
@@ -217,7 +231,7 @@ cc_library(
         "upbdev.h",
     ],
     copts = UPB_DEFAULT_COPTS,
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
     deps = [
         ":code_generator_request_upb_proto",
         ":code_generator_request_upb_proto_reflection",
@@ -232,6 +246,21 @@ cc_library(
     ],
 )
 
+cc_binary(
+    name = "lib/libupbdev.so",
+    linkshared = 1,
+    visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
+    deps = [
+        ":upbdev",
+    ],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "libupbdev",
+    srcs = [":lib/libupbdev.so"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
 bootstrap_cc_binary(
     name = "protoc-gen-upb",
     srcs = ["protoc-gen-upb.cc"],
diff --git a/upbc/upbc_so.c b/upbc/upbc_so.c
index 9854babb2a..8858242f73 100644
--- a/upbc/upbc_so.c
+++ b/upbc/upbc_so.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include "upb/message/accessors.h"
 #include "upb/message/message.h"
 #include "upb/mini_table/decode.h"
-#include "upbc/upbdev.h"
 
 // Must be last.
 #include "upb/port/def.inc"
diff --git a/upbc/upbdev.c b/upbc/upbdev.c
index 1ac30eab64..a88fedb252 100644
--- a/upbc/upbdev.c
+++ b/upbc/upbdev.c
@@ -92,10 +92,9 @@ upb_StringView upbdev_ProcessInput(const char* buf, size_t size,
 
   const upbc_CodeGeneratorRequest* outer_request =
       upbc_MakeCodeGeneratorRequest(inner_request, arena, status);
-  if (upb_Status_IsOk(status))
-    out = upbc_JsonEncode(outer_request, arena, status);
+  if (!upb_Status_IsOk(status)) return out;
 
-  return out;
+  return upbc_JsonEncode(outer_request, arena, status);
 }
 
 upb_StringView upbdev_ProcessOutput(const char* buf, size_t size,
@@ -126,3 +125,7 @@ void upbdev_ProcessStdout(const char* buf, size_t size, upb_Arena* arena,
     }
   }
 }
+
+upb_Arena* upbdev_Arena_New() { return upb_Arena_New(); }
+
+void upbdev_Status_Clear(upb_Status* status) { upb_Status_Clear(status); }
diff --git a/upbc/upbdev.h b/upbc/upbdev.h
index b8c6b2deab..d6e8d62761 100644
--- a/upbc/upbdev.h
+++ b/upbc/upbdev.h
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ UPB_API upb_StringView upbdev_ProcessOutput(const char* buf, size_t size,
 UPB_API void upbdev_ProcessStdout(const char* buf, size_t size,
                                   upb_Arena* arena, upb_Status* status);
 
+// The following wrappers allow the protoc plugins to call the above functions
+// without pulling in the entire pb_runtime library.
+UPB_API upb_Arena* upbdev_Arena_New();
+UPB_API void upbdev_Status_Clear(upb_Status* status);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
 #endif