diff --git a/.github/workflows/install-shared-dependencies/action.yml b/.github/workflows/install-shared-dependencies/action.yml
index 42747ac0be..00f5481d8a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install-shared-dependencies/action.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install-shared-dependencies/action.yml
@@ -56,5 +56,5 @@ runs:
         - name: Install protoc (protobuf)
           uses: arduino/setup-protoc@v3
           with:
-              version: "25.1"
+              version: "26.1"
               repo-token: ${{ inputs.github-token }}
diff --git a/java/client/build.gradle b/java/client/build.gradle
index 07962a8b02..44315cd843 100644
--- a/java/client/build.gradle
+++ b/java/client/build.gradle
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    implementation group: 'com.google.protobuf', name: 'protobuf-java', version: '3.24.3'
+    implementation group: 'com.google.protobuf', name: 'protobuf-java', version: '4.26.1'
     implementation group: 'org.apache.commons', name: 'commons-lang3', version: '3.13.0'
 
     implementation group: 'io.netty', name: 'netty-handler', version: '4.1.100.Final'
@@ -31,8 +31,29 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation group: 'org.mockito', name: 'mockito-junit-jupiter', version: '3.12.4'
 }
 
+ext {
+    checkProtocVersion = { String output ->
+        // Line in format like: libprotoc 26.1
+        int majorVersion = Integer.parseInt(output.split(" ")[1].split("\\.")[0].trim());
+        int minorVersion = Integer.parseInt(output.split(" ")[1].split("\\.")[1].trim());
+        if (majorVersion < 26 || (majorVersion == 26 && minorVersion < 1)) {
+            throw new GradleException("Use Protoc version 26.1 or later");
+        }
+        return output.split(" ")[1]
+    }
+}
+
 tasks.register('protobuf', Exec) {
     doFirst {
+        new ByteArrayOutputStream().withStream { os ->
+            exec {
+                commandLine 'protoc', '--version'
+                workingDir Paths.get(project.rootDir.path, '..').toFile()
+                standardOutput = os
+            }
+            checkProtocVersion(os.toString())
+        }
+
         project.mkdir(Paths.get(project.projectDir.path, 'src/main/java/glide/models/protobuf').toString())
     }
     commandLine 'protoc',
@@ -127,3 +148,7 @@ tasks.withType(Test) {
     }
     jvmArgs "-Djava.library.path=${projectDir}/../target/debug"
 }
+
+jar {
+    archiveBaseName = "glide-client"
+}
diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/module-info.java b/java/client/src/main/java/module-info.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4d96d95958
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/module-info.java
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+module glide.api {
+    exports glide.api;
+    exports glide.api.commands;
+    exports glide.api.models;
+    exports glide.api.models.commands;
+    exports glide.api.models.configuration;
+    exports glide.api.models.exceptions;
+
+    requires com.google.protobuf;
+    requires io.netty.transport;
+    requires lombok;
+}
diff --git a/python/DEVELOPER.md b/python/DEVELOPER.md
index 3368616b69..736d1c2ba6 100644
--- a/python/DEVELOPER.md
+++ b/python/DEVELOPER.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Software Dependencies
 -   git
 -   GCC
 -   pkg-config
--   protoc (protobuf compiler) >= v3.20.0
+-   protoc (protobuf compiler) >= v26.1
 -   openssl
 -   openssl-dev
 -   rustup