diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
index e681f887700..25fbc62e268 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-go
         with:
           only-modules: "true"
+      - name: Install protoc-gen-go-wsrpc
+        run: curl https://github.com/smartcontractkit/wsrpc/raw/main/cmd/protoc-gen-go-wsrpc/protoc-gen-go-wsrpc --output $HOME/go/bin/protoc-gen-go-wsrpc && chmod +x $HOME/go/bin/protoc-gen-go-wsrpc
       - name: Setup NodeJS
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-nodejs
       - run: make generate # generate install go deps
diff --git a/.tool-versions b/.tool-versions
index 2a2362dcfa0..e52a1f25a81 100644
--- a/.tool-versions
+++ b/.tool-versions
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ postgres 13.3
 helm 3.10.3
 zig 0.10.1
 golangci-lint 1.55.2
-protoc 23.2
+protoc 25.1
diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 1a5fe5f24aa..5d804a75a5c 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ abigen: ## Build & install abigen.
 	./tools/bin/build_abigen
 
 .PHONY: generate
-generate: abigen codecgen mockery ## Execute all go:generate commands.
+generate: abigen codecgen mockery protoc ## Execute all go:generate commands.
 	go generate -x ./...
 
 .PHONY: testscripts
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ mockery: $(mockery) ## Install mockery.
 codecgen: $(codecgen) ## Install codecgen
 	go install github.com/ugorji/go/codec/codecgen@v1.2.10
 
+.PHONY: protoc
+protoc: ## Install protoc
+	core/scripts/install-protoc.sh 25.1 /
+	go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@`go list -m -json google.golang.org/protobuf | jq -r .Version`
+
 .PHONY: telemetry-protobuf
 telemetry-protobuf: $(telemetry-protobuf) ## Generate telemetry protocol buffers.
 	protoc \
diff --git a/core/scripts/install-protoc.sh b/core/scripts/install-protoc.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..8d9dc4085c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/scripts/install-protoc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -x
+
+
+VERSION=$1
+
+if [ "$VERSION" == "" ]; then
+    echo "version required"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+os=$(uname)
+arch=$(uname -m)
+
+install_dir=$HOME/.local
+$install_dir/bin/protoc --version | grep $VERSION
+rc=$?
+if [ $rc -eq 0 ]; then
+    # we have the current VERSION
+    echo "protoc up-to-date @ $VERSION"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+
+if [ "$os" == "Linux" ] ; then
+	os="linux"
+    if [$arch != "x86_64"]; then
+        echo "unsupported os $os-$arch update $0"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+elif [ "$os" == "Darwin" ] ; then
+	os="osx"
+    # make life simply and download the universal binary
+    arch="universal_binary"
+else
+    echo "unsupported os $os. update $0"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+workdir=$(mktemp -d)
+pushd $workdir
+pb_url="https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases"
+artifact=protoc-$VERSION-$os-$arch.zip
+curl -LO $pb_url/download/v${VERSION}/$artifact
+if [[ ! -d $install_dir ]]; then
+    mkdir $install_dir
+fi
+unzip -uo $artifact -d $install_dir
+rm $artifact
+
+echo "protoc $VERSION installed in $install_dir"
+echo "Add $install_dir/bin to PATH"
+export PATH=$install_dir/bin:$PATH
+popd
diff --git a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/generate.go b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/generate.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2bb95012d1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/generate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+//go:generate protoc --go_out=. --go_opt=paths=source_relative --go-wsrpc_out=. --go-wsrpc_opt=paths=source_relative mercury.proto
+package pb
diff --git a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury.pb.go b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury.pb.go
index 2f421931a18..ce4125bd579 100644
--- a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury.pb.go
+++ b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury.pb.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Code generated by protoc-gen-go. DO NOT EDIT.
 // versions:
 // 	protoc-gen-go v1.32.0
-// 	protoc        v4.23.2
+// 	protoc        v4.25.1
 // source: mercury.proto
 
 package pb
diff --git a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury_wsrpc.pb.go b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury_wsrpc.pb.go
index 23c78abf533..0c31a1d7ac9 100644
--- a/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury_wsrpc.pb.go
+++ b/core/services/relay/evm/mercury/wsrpc/pb/mercury_wsrpc.pb.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Code generated by protoc-gen-go-wsrpc. DO NOT EDIT.
 // versions:
 // - protoc-gen-go-wsrpc v0.0.1
-// - protoc             v4.23.2
+// - protoc             v4.25.1
 
 package pb