diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4a04dbe2a12..318d50707df 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -151,18 +151,21 @@ PROTO_GO_OUTS = $(foreach name, $(PROTO_SRC_NAMES), go/vt/proto/$(name)/$(name).
 # This rule rebuilds all the go files from the proto definitions for gRPC.
 proto: $(PROTO_GO_OUTS)
 
+docker-proto:
+	docker build -t proto-builder -f docker/proto/Dockerfile .
+	docker run --rm -v $(shell pwd)/go/vt/proto/:/go/vt/proto/ proto-builder
+
 ifndef NOBANNER
 	echo $$(date): Compiling proto definitions
 endif
 
-# TODO(sougou): find a better way around this temp hack.
-VTTOP=$(VTROOT)/../../..
 $(PROTO_GO_OUTS): install_protoc-gen-go proto/*.proto
 	for name in $(PROTO_SRC_NAMES); do \
-		cd $(VTTOP)/src && \
-		$(VTROOT)/bin/protoc --go_out=plugins=grpc:. -Ivitess.io/vitess/proto vitess.io/vitess/proto/$${name}.proto && \
-		goimports -w $(VTROOT)/go/vt/proto/$${name}/$${name}.pb.go; \
+		$(VTROOT)/bin/protoc --go_out=plugins=grpc:. -Iproto proto/$${name}.proto && \
+		goimports -w vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/$${name}/$${name}.pb.go; \
 	done
+	cp -Rf vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/* go/vt/proto
+	rm -rf vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/proto/
 
 # Helper targets for building Docker images.
 # Please read docker/README.md to understand the different available images.
diff --git a/docker/proto/Dockerfile b/docker/proto/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..96e8762da48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/proto/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+FROM golang:1.14-buster
+
+# Install depedencies
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+        build-essential \
+        ca-certificates \
+        curl \
+        unzip \
+        wget
+
+ARG PROTOC_GEN_GO_VERSION=v1.3.2
+
+# Need to set up a module in order to install a specific version of protoc-gen-go.
+#   1. The `go get package@version` syntax is only supported in module mode.
+#   2. In module mode, `go get` is unsupported outside of a module.
+# These two things together force us to do this quick hack.
+#
+# See https://github.com/golang/go/issues/24250 as just one of many issues on the subject.
+RUN mkdir proto-builder && \
+    cd proto-builder && \
+    go mod init proto-builder && \
+    GO111MODULE=on go get \
+        golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports \
+        github.com/golang/protobuf/protoc-gen-go@${PROTOC_GEN_GO_VERSION}
+
+ARG PROTOC_VERSION=3.12.4
+
+# Download protoc
+RUN curl -LO https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v${PROTOC_VERSION}/protoc-${PROTOC_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip && \
+    unzip protoc-${PROTOC_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip -d /protoc && \
+    mv /protoc/bin/protoc /usr/local/bin/ && \
+    rm -rf protoc-${PROTOC_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.zip
+
+ADD proto proto
+
+# Build proto/$x.proto files into /go/vt/proto/$x/$x.pb.go
+CMD [ "./proto/build.sh" ]
diff --git a/proto/build.sh b/proto/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..3f5c2bd34cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+for file in proto/*.proto
+do
+  name="$(basename "$file" | cut -d. -f1)"
+
+  echo "Building $name.proto ..."
+  dir="vt/proto/$name"
+  mkdir -p "./$dir" && chmod 755 "./$dir"
+
+  protoc --go_out=plugins=grpc:. -Iproto "proto/$name.proto"
+  mv "vitess.io/vitess/go/$dir/$name.pb.go" "./$dir/$name.pb.go"
+  goimports -w "./$dir/$name.pb.go"
+done
+
+rm -rf vitess.io