diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6a19d057f53..100ed421bee 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ REVIEWDOG_VERSION         := $(eval REVIEWDOG_VERSION := $(shell cat versions/RE
 TELEPRESENCE_VERSION      := $(eval TELEPRESENCE_VERSION := $(shell cat versions/TELEPRESENCE_VERSION))$(TELEPRESENCE_VERSION)
 VALDCLI_VERSION           := $(eval VALDCLI_VERSION := $(shell cat versions/VALDCLI_VERSION))$(VALDCLI_VERSION)
 YQ_VERSION                := $(eval YQ_VERSION := $(shell cat versions/YQ_VERSION))$(YQ_VERSION)
+BUF_VERSION               := $(eval BUF_VERSION := $(shell cat versions/BUF_VERSION))$(BUF_VERSION)
 
 OTEL_OPERATOR_RELEASE_NAME ?= opentelemetry-operator
 PROMETHEUS_RELEASE_NAME    ?= prometheus
@@ -396,7 +397,8 @@ format: \
 	format/go \
 	format/json \
 	format/md \
-	format/yaml
+	format/yaml \
+	format/proto
 
 .PHONY: format/go
 ## run golines, gofumpt, goimports for all go files
@@ -448,6 +450,11 @@ format/json: \
 	    "charts/**/*.json" \
 	    "hack/**/*.json"
 
+.PHONY: format/proto
+format/proto: \
+	buf/install \
+	buf format -w
+
 .PHONY: deps
 ## resolve dependencies
 deps: \
diff --git a/Makefile.d/tools.mk b/Makefile.d/tools.mk
index 95e59b58f54..08415f9714f 100644
--- a/Makefile.d/tools.mk
+++ b/Makefile.d/tools.mk
@@ -83,3 +83,12 @@ textlint/install:
 textlint/ci/install:
 	npm init -y
 	npm install --save-dev textlint textlint-rule-en-spell textlint-rule-prh textlint-rule-write-good
+
+.PHONY: buf/install
+buf/install: $(BINDIR)/buf
+
+$(BINDIR)/buf:
+	curl -sSL \
+	"https://github.com/bufbuild/buf/releases/download/v$(BUF_VERSION)/buf-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" \
+	-o "${BINDIR}/buf" && \
+	chmod +x "${BINDIR}/buf"
diff --git a/versions/BUF_VERSION b/versions/BUF_VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cc904638af8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/versions/BUF_VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v1.2.2