diff --git a/dependencies.yaml b/dependencies.yaml
index e5eb879eb11..3a09e2d2ed5 100644
--- a/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/dependencies.yaml
@@ -312,6 +312,12 @@ dependencies:
     - path: images/k8s-cloud-builder/variants.yaml
       match: "KUBE_CROSS_VERSION: 'v((([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)\\.([0-9]+)(?:-([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)(?:\\+([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)'"
 
+  - name: "registry.k8s.io/build-image/kube-cross: protobuf version"
+    version: 23.4
+    refPaths:
+    - path: images/build/cross/default/Dockerfile
+      match: "PROTOBUF_VERSION [0-9]+\\.[0-9]+"
+
   # Golang (next candidate)
   - name: "golang (next candidate)"
     version: 1.21rc2
diff --git a/images/build/cross/default/Dockerfile b/images/build/cross/default/Dockerfile
index dfe2741384d..c8ab7aa1680 100644
--- a/images/build/cross/default/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/build/cross/default/Dockerfile
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ RUN targetArch=$(echo $TARGETPLATFORM | cut -f2 -d '/') \
     && apt-get install -y build-essential; \
 fi
 
-ARG PROTOBUF_VERSION
+ENV PROTOBUF_VERSION 23.4
 RUN targetArch=$(echo $TARGETPLATFORM | cut -f2 -d '/') \
   && if [ ${targetArch} = "amd64" ]; then \
   ZIPNAME="protoc-${PROTOBUF_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip"; \
diff --git a/images/build/cross/variants.yaml b/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
index cccf64ed5c4..d9669234ceb 100644
--- a/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
+++ b/images/build/cross/variants.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ variants:
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.21'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bookworm'
     REVISION: '0'
-    PROTOBUF_VERSION: '3.19.4'
   v1.27-go1.20-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.20-bullseye'
     TYPE: 'default'
@@ -18,7 +17,6 @@ variants:
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.20'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
-    PROTOBUF_VERSION: '3.19.4'
   v1.26-go1.20-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.20-bullseye'
     TYPE: 'default'
@@ -28,7 +26,6 @@ variants:
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.20'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
-    PROTOBUF_VERSION: '3.19.4'
   v1.25-go1.20-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.20-bullseye'
     TYPE: 'default'
@@ -38,7 +35,6 @@ variants:
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.20'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
-    PROTOBUF_VERSION: '3.19.4'
   v1.24-go1.20-bullseye:
     CONFIG: 'go1.20-bullseye'
     TYPE: 'default'
@@ -48,4 +44,3 @@ variants:
     GO_MAJOR_VERSION: '1.20'
     OS_CODENAME: 'bullseye'
     REVISION: '0'
-    PROTOBUF_VERSION: '3.19.4'