diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index deca292a..4278f4a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -123,3 +123,43 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run cgroups v2 tests
         run: vagrant ssh default -- sudo -i /test.sh
+
+  protos:
+    name: Generate .pb.go files from .proto files
+    runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      with:
+        path: src/github.com/containerd/cgroups
+
+    - name: Install protoc
+      run: |
+        curl -LO https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v3.11.4/protoc-3.11.4-linux-x86_64.zip
+        sudo unzip -x protoc-3.11.4-linux-x86_64.zip -d /usr/local
+        sudo chmod -R go+rX /usr/local/include
+        sudo chmod go+x /usr/local/bin/protoc
+
+    - name: Install Go
+      uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+      with:
+        go-version: '1.17.x'
+
+    - name: Install protoc-gen-go
+      run: |
+        go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.26.0
+
+    - name: Install protobuild and go-fix-acronym
+      run: |
+        go install github.com/containerd/protobuild@67235b658dbf6caa5cbe2fa4c04ed49b5f31d3bd
+        go install github.com/containerd/protobuild/cmd/go-fix-acronym@67235b658dbf6caa5cbe2fa4c04ed49b5f31d3bd
+      working-directory: src/github.com/containerd/cgroups
+
+    - name: make proto
+      run: |
+        rm $(find . -name '*.pb.go')
+        PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$PATH make proto
+        git diff --exit-code
+      env:
+        GOPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
+      working-directory: src/github.com/containerd/cgroups