diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 554440cfe..53485cb97 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1 +1 @@
-build --cxxopt=-std=c++14 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++14
+build --cxxopt=-std=c++17 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++17
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 7d6c7f2fe..513c29fa3 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -50,13 +50,14 @@ bazel_dep(name = "bazel_jar_jar", version = "0.1.7")
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "googleapis", repo_name = "com_google_googleapis", version = "0.0.0-20240326-1c8d509c5")
 bazel_dep(name = "grpc-proto", repo_name = "io_grpc_grpc_proto", version = "0.0.0-20240627-ec30f58")
-# Protobuf 25.5+ is incompatible with Bazel 7 with bzlmod
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf", version = "24.4")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "5.3.5")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_jvm_external", version = "6.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "5.3.0-21.7")
 
+system_protobuf = use_extension("//:repositories.bzl", "system_protobuf")
+use_repo(system_protobuf, "com_google_protobuf")
+
 maven = use_extension("@rules_jvm_external//:extensions.bzl", "maven")
 
 maven.install(
diff --git a/repositories.bzl b/repositories.bzl
index 47609ae76..42474cb83 100644
--- a/repositories.bzl
+++ b/repositories.bzl
@@ -1,6 +1,131 @@
 """External dependencies for grpc-java."""
 
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl", "maybe")
+
+def _system_protobuf_repo_impl(ctx):
+    """Repository rule to create system protobuf repository."""
+    ctx.file("WORKSPACE", "workspace(name = \"{name}\")".format(name = ctx.name))
+    
+    ctx.file("BUILD", """
+load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_library")
+
+package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "protobuf",
+    hdrs = glob([
+        "include/google/protobuf/**/*.h",
+        "include/google/protobuf/**/*.inc",
+    ]),
+    includes = ["include"],
+    linkopts = [
+        "-lprotobuf",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_check_op",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_message",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_nullguard",
+        "-labsl_raw_logging_internal",
+        "-labsl_strings",
+        "-labsl_throw_delegate",
+        "-labsl_hash",
+        "-labsl_raw_hash_set",
+        "-labsl_hashtablez_sampler",
+        "-labsl_synchronization",
+        "-labsl_time",
+        "-labsl_civil_time",
+        "-labsl_time_zone",
+        "-labsl_int128",
+        "-labsl_base",
+        "-labsl_spinlock_wait",
+    ],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "protobuf_lite",
+    hdrs = glob([
+        "include/google/protobuf/**/*.h",
+        "include/google/protobuf/**/*.inc",
+    ]),
+    includes = ["include"],
+    linkopts = [
+        "-lprotobuf-lite",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_check_op",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_message",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_nullguard",
+        "-labsl_raw_logging_internal",
+        "-labsl_strings",
+        "-labsl_throw_delegate",
+        "-labsl_base",
+        "-labsl_spinlock_wait",
+    ],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "protoc_lib",
+    hdrs = glob([
+        "include/google/protobuf/compiler/**/*.h",
+    ]),
+    includes = ["include"],
+    linkopts = [
+        "-lprotoc",
+        "-lprotobuf",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_check_op",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_message",
+        "-labsl_log_internal_nullguard",
+        "-labsl_raw_logging_internal",
+        "-labsl_strings",
+        "-labsl_throw_delegate",
+        "-labsl_hash",
+        "-labsl_raw_hash_set",
+        "-labsl_hashtablez_sampler",
+        "-labsl_synchronization",
+        "-labsl_time",
+        "-labsl_civil_time",
+        "-labsl_time_zone",
+        "-labsl_int128",
+        "-labsl_base",
+        "-labsl_spinlock_wait",
+    ],
+    deps = [":protobuf"],
+)
+
+# Java protobuf libraries (these will be provided by the maven overrides)
+java_library(
+    name = "protobuf_java",
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+java_library(
+    name = "protobuf_java_util", 
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+java_library(
+    name = "protobuf_javalite",
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"], 
+)
+
+# The protoc binary
+genrule(
+    name = "protoc",
+    outs = ["protoc_wrapper"],
+    cmd = "echo '#!/bin/bash\\\\nexec /usr/bin/protoc \\"$$@\\"' > $@ && chmod +x $@",
+    executable = True,
+)
+""")
+    
+    # Create symlinks to system headers
+    ctx.symlink("/usr/include", "include")
+
+_system_protobuf_repo = repository_rule(
+    implementation = _system_protobuf_repo_impl,
+)
+
+def _system_protobuf_ext_impl(ctx):
+    """Module extension to register system protobuf repository."""
+    _system_protobuf_repo(name = "com_google_protobuf")
+
+system_protobuf = module_extension(implementation = _system_protobuf_ext_impl)
 
 # For use with maven_install's artifacts.
 # maven_install(
@@ -89,8 +214,6 @@ IO_GRPC_GRPC_JAVA_OVERRIDE_TARGETS = {
 
 def grpc_java_repositories():
     """Imports dependencies for grpc-java."""
-    if not native.existing_rule("com_google_protobuf"):
-        com_google_protobuf()
     if not native.existing_rule("com_google_googleapis"):
         http_archive(
             name = "com_google_googleapis",
@@ -110,17 +233,6 @@ def grpc_java_repositories():
             url = "https://github.com/bazeltools/bazel_jar_jar/releases/download/v0.1.6/bazel_jar_jar-v0.1.6.tar.gz",
         )
 
-def com_google_protobuf():
-    # proto_library rules implicitly depend on @com_google_protobuf//:protoc,
-    # which is the proto-compiler.
-    # This statement defines the @com_google_protobuf repo.
-    http_archive(
-        name = "com_google_protobuf",
-        sha256 = "3cf7d5b17c4ff04fe9f038104e9d0cae6da09b8ce271c13e44f8ac69f51e4e0f",
-        strip_prefix = "protobuf-25.5",
-        urls = ["https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v25.5/protobuf-25.5.tar.gz"],
-    )
-
 def io_grpc_grpc_proto():
     http_archive(
         name = "io_grpc_grpc_proto",