diff --git a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
index e6801902bb..554f3ccfe5 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
+++ b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
@@ -252,6 +252,43 @@ 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: $protobuf_c_install_log "
@@ -291,6 +328,7 @@ install_protobuf_c() {
       ;;
   esac
   if [[ "$protobuf_packages" == "" ]]; then
+    install_protobuf_from_source
     install_protobuf_c_from_source
   else
     $SUDO $INSTALLER -y install $protobuf_packages