diff --git a/cmake_targets/build_oai b/cmake_targets/build_oai
index ecfc7d7387..8d221dd9f2 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/build_oai
+++ b/cmake_targets/build_oai
@@ -564,8 +564,7 @@ function main() {
       #fi
     fi
     echo_info "Installing protobuf/protobuf-c for flexran agent support"
-    install_protobuf_from_source
-    install_protobuf_c_from_source
+    install_protobuf_c
     echo_success "protobuf/protobuf-c installation successful"
   fi
 
diff --git a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
index aa01c35e1c..68ad2e18b5 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
+++ b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
@@ -251,43 +251,6 @@ compilations() {
 # External packages installers
 ############################################
 
-install_protobuf_from_source(){
-    protobuf_install_log=$OPENAIR_DIR/cmake_targets/log/protobuf_install_log.txt
-    echo_info "\nInstalling Google Protobuf from sources. The log file for Protobuf installation is here: $protobuf_install_log "
-    (
-    cd /tmp
-    echo "Downloading protobuf"
-    #rm -rf /tmp/protobuf-2.6.1.tar.gz* /tmp/protobuf-2.6.1
-    #wget https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v2.6.1/protobuf-2.6.1.tar.gz
-    #tar -xzvf protobuf-2.6.1.tar.gz --owner $USER --group $USER --no-same-owner
-    #cd protobuf-2.6.1/
-
-    if [ $IS_CONTAINER -eq 0 ]
-    then
-      rm -rf /tmp/protobuf-cpp-3.3.0.tar.gz* /tmp/protobuf-3.3.0
-      wget --tries=3 --retry-connrefused https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v3.3.0/protobuf-cpp-3.3.0.tar.gz
-      tar -xzvf protobuf-cpp-3.3.0.tar.gz --owner $(id -u) --group $(id -g) --no-same-owner
-      cd protobuf-3.3.0/
-    else
-      export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib #protoc needs to know where toclook for shared libs
-      rm -rf /tmp/protobuf
-      git clone --depth=1 --branch=v3.3.0 https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf.git /tmp/protobuf
-      cd /tmp/protobuf
-      git submodule update --init --recursive
-      ./autogen.sh
-    fi
-    ./configure
-    echo "Compiling protobuf"
-    make -j`nproc`
-    $SUDO make install
-    $SUDO ldconfig
-    if [[ -v CI_ENV ]]; then
-        cd /tmp
-        $SUDO rm -rf protobuf*
-    fi
-    ) >& $protobuf_install_log
-}
-
 install_protobuf_c_from_source(){
     protobuf_c_install_log=$OPENAIR_DIR/cmake_targets/log/protobuf_c_install_log.txt
     echo_info "\nInstalling Google Protobuf_C from sources. The log file for Protobuf_C installation is here: $protobuf_c_install_log "
@@ -314,6 +277,20 @@ install_protobuf_c_from_source(){
     ) >& $protobuf_c_install_log
 }
 
+install_protobuf_c() {
+  local protobuf_packages=""
+  case "$(get_distribution_release)" in
+    "ubuntu18.04" | "ubuntu20.04" | "ubuntu21.04")
+      protobuf_packages="protobuf-c-compiler libprotobuf-c1 libprotobuf-c-dev"
+      ;;
+  esac
+  if [[ "$protobuf_packages" == "" ]]; then
+    install_protobuf_c_from_source
+  else
+    $SUDO $INSTALLER -y install $protobuf_packages
+  fi
+}
+
 install_usrp_uhd_driver_from_source(){
     uhd_install_log=$OPENAIR_DIR/cmake_targets/log/uhd_install_log.txt
     echo_info "\nInstalling UHD driver from sources. The log file for UHD driver installation is here: $uhd_install_log "