diff --git a/private/buf/cmd/buf/buf.go b/private/buf/cmd/buf/buf.go
index c7cfd144db..cd9e3ea68b 100644
--- a/private/buf/cmd/buf/buf.go
+++ b/private/buf/cmd/buf/buf.go
@@ -89,11 +89,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/app"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/app/appcmd"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/app/appext"
+	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protoglobal"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/syserror"
 )
 
 // Main is the entrypoint to the buf CLI.
 func Main(name string) {
+	protoglobal.DisableGlobalFiles()
 	appcmd.Main(context.Background(), NewRootCommand(name))
 }
 
diff --git a/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-breaking/breaking.go b/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-breaking/breaking.go
index ec6f1d4bdf..8868b09a1b 100644
--- a/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-breaking/breaking.go
+++ b/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-breaking/breaking.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/encoding"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protodescriptor"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protoencoding"
+	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protoglobal"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/tracing"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/protoplugin"
 )
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ const (
 
 // Main is the main.
 func Main() {
+	protoglobal.DisableGlobalFiles()
 	protoplugin.Main(
 		protoplugin.HandlerFunc(handle),
 		// An `EmptyResolver` is passed to protoplugin for unmarshalling instead of defaulting to
diff --git a/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-lint/lint.go b/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-lint/lint.go
index 8f86b0ba47..e5c0d6ffc4 100644
--- a/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-lint/lint.go
+++ b/private/buf/cmd/protoc-gen-buf-lint/lint.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/encoding"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protodescriptor"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protoencoding"
+	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/protoglobal"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/pkg/tracing"
 	"github.com/bufbuild/protoplugin"
 )
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ const (
 
 // Main is the main.
 func Main() {
+	protoglobal.DisableGlobalFiles()
 	protoplugin.Main(
 		protoplugin.HandlerFunc(handle),
 		// An `EmptyResolver` is passed to protoplugin for unmarshalling instead of defaulting to
diff --git a/private/pkg/protoglobal/protoglobal.go b/private/pkg/protoglobal/protoglobal.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..99ef71ab91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/private/pkg/protoglobal/protoglobal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Copyright 2020-2024 Buf Technologies, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package protoglobal
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protoregistry"
+)
+
+var lock sync.Mutex
+
+// DisableGlobalFiles disables protoregistry.GlobalFiles by overwriting it with
+// an empty Files struct.
+//
+// This should not be called in init functions, and should only be called at
+// the start of applications.
+func DisableGlobalFiles() {
+	lock.Lock()
+	protoregistry.GlobalFiles = new(protoregistry.Files)
+	lock.Unlock()
+}
diff --git a/private/pkg/protoglobal/usage.gen.go b/private/pkg/protoglobal/usage.gen.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..667a4d8456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/private/pkg/protoglobal/usage.gen.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Copyright 2020-2024 Buf Technologies, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+// Generated. DO NOT EDIT.
+
+package protoglobal
+
+import _ "github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/usage"