diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-artifacts.yml b/.github/workflows/release-artifacts.yml
index 5db8e25e660ac1..36eb31d4e15515 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-artifacts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-artifacts.yml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ jobs:
           choco install openssl
           export OPENSSL_DIR="C:\Program Files\OpenSSL-Win64"
           choco install protoc
+          export PROTOC="C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\protoc\tools\bin\protoc.exe"
           source /tmp/env.sh
           echo "::set-output name=tag::$CI_TAG"
           eval "$(ci/channel-info.sh)"
diff --git a/storage-bigtable/build-proto/Cargo.toml b/storage-bigtable/build-proto/Cargo.toml
index 7da00e8dbb052b..4e32ff93c21e81 100644
--- a/storage-bigtable/build-proto/Cargo.toml
+++ b/storage-bigtable/build-proto/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,5 +12,9 @@ version = "1.11.6"
 [workspace]
 
 [dependencies]
-protobuf-src = "1.0.5"
 tonic-build = "0.8.0"
+
+# windows users should install the protobuf compiler manually and set the PROTOC
+# envar to point to the installed binary
+[target."cfg(not(windows))".dependencies]
+protobuf-src = "1.0.5"
diff --git a/storage-bigtable/build-proto/src/main.rs b/storage-bigtable/build-proto/src/main.rs
index 4e7b4b171021ad..f2385d48a5ffa5 100644
--- a/storage-bigtable/build-proto/src/main.rs
+++ b/storage-bigtable/build-proto/src/main.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     const PROTOC_ENVAR: &str = "PROTOC";
     if std::env::var(PROTOC_ENVAR).is_err() {
+        #[cfg(not(windows))]
         std::env::set_var(PROTOC_ENVAR, protobuf_src::protoc());
     }
 
diff --git a/storage-proto/Cargo.toml b/storage-proto/Cargo.toml
index 39174c37dbf99b..72c67275498aec 100644
--- a/storage-proto/Cargo.toml
+++ b/storage-proto/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,5 +29,9 @@ name = "solana_storage_proto"
 targets = ["x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"]
 
 [build-dependencies]
-protobuf-src = "1.0.5"
 tonic-build = "0.8.0"
+
+# windows users should install the protobuf compiler manually and set the PROTOC
+# envar to point to the installed binary
+[target."cfg(not(windows))".build-dependencies]
+protobuf-src = "1.0.5"
diff --git a/storage-proto/build.rs b/storage-proto/build.rs
index e5e17400a4feeb..ec975a105411ae 100644
--- a/storage-proto/build.rs
+++ b/storage-proto/build.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
     const PROTOC_ENVAR: &str = "PROTOC";
     if std::env::var(PROTOC_ENVAR).is_err() {
+        #[cfg(not(windows))]
         std::env::set_var(PROTOC_ENVAR, protobuf_src::protoc());
     }