diff --git a/common/shlibs b/common/shlibs
index 68476af7281..7a4d4ea1794 100644
--- a/common/shlibs
+++ b/common/shlibs
@@ -3081,9 +3081,9 @@ libm17n-flt.so.0 m17n-lib-1.7.0_1
 libm17n-gui.so.0 m17n-lib-1.7.0_1
 libm17n-core.so.0 m17n-lib-1.7.0_1
 libm17n.so.0 m17n-lib-1.7.0_1
-libprotobuf-lite.so.28 libprotobuf28-lite-3.17.0_1
-libprotoc.so.28 libprotoc28-3.17.0_1
-libprotobuf.so.28 libprotobuf28-3.17.0_1
+libprotobuf-lite.so.29 libprotobuf-lite-3.18.0_1
+libprotoc.so.29 libprotoc-3.18.0_1
+libprotobuf.so.29 libprotobuf-3.18.0_1
 libsombok.so.3 sombok-2.4.0_1
 libdeviceclient.so.0 pragha-1.3.3_1
 libguile-srfi-srfi-1-v-3.so.3 guile1.8-1.8.8_1
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf
new file mode 120000
index 00000000000..779a5a300bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+protobuf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf-lite b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf-lite
new file mode 120000
index 00000000000..779a5a300bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf-lite
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+protobuf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28 b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28-lite b/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28-lite
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/libprotobuf28-lite
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotoc b/srcpkgs/libprotoc
new file mode 120000
index 00000000000..779a5a300bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/libprotoc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+protobuf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotoc-devel b/srcpkgs/libprotoc-devel
index 695e4991b43..779a5a300bc 120000
--- a/srcpkgs/libprotoc-devel
+++ b/srcpkgs/libprotoc-devel
@@ -1 +1 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
+protobuf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotoc28 b/srcpkgs/libprotoc28
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/libprotoc28
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/libprotoc28-devel b/srcpkgs/libprotoc28-devel
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/libprotoc28-devel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/protobuf b/srcpkgs/protobuf
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/protobuf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/protobuf-devel b/srcpkgs/protobuf-devel
index 695e4991b43..779a5a300bc 120000
--- a/srcpkgs/protobuf-devel
+++ b/srcpkgs/protobuf-devel
@@ -1 +1 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
+protobuf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/protobuf-lite b/srcpkgs/protobuf-lite
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/protobuf-lite
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/srcpkgs/protobuf28/template b/srcpkgs/protobuf/template
similarity index 61%
rename from srcpkgs/protobuf28/template
rename to srcpkgs/protobuf/template
index 7fcf2e2fa70..c127080916f 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/protobuf28/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/protobuf/template
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# Template file for 'protobuf28'
-pkgname=protobuf28
-version=3.17.3
-revision=2
+# Template file for 'protobuf'
+pkgname=protobuf
+version=3.18.1
+revision=1
 wrksrc="protobuf-${version}"
 build_style=gnu-configure
 hostmakedepends="pkg-config automake libtool"
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ license="BSD-3-Clause"
 homepage="https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/"
 changelog="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/protobuf/master/CHANGES.txt"
 distfiles="https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v${version}.tar.gz"
-checksum=c6003e1d2e7fefa78a3039f19f383b4f3a61e81be8c19356f85b6461998ad3db
+checksum=9111bf0b542b631165fadbd80aa60e7fb25b25311c532139ed2089d76ddf6dd7
 # Checks rely on googletest
 make_check=no
 
 # Switch to versioned package
-conflicts="protobuf18>=0 protobuf23>=0 protobuf24>=0 protobuf25>=0 protobuf26>=0"
-replaces="protobuf<=3.11.4_1 ${conflicts}"
+conflicts="protobuf18>=0 protobuf23>=0 protobuf24>=0
+ protobuf25>=0 protobuf26>=0 protobuf28>=0"
+replaces="${conflicts}"
 
 if [ "$CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
 	# needs host protoc
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ post_install() {
 	vlicense LICENSE
 }
 
-libprotobuf28_package() {
+libprotobuf_package() {
 	short_desc="Protocol buffers C++ library"
 	pkg_install() {
 		vmove "usr/lib/libprotobuf.so.*"
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ libprotobuf28_package() {
 	}
 }
 
-libprotobuf28-lite_package() {
+libprotobuf-lite_package() {
 	short_desc="Protocol buffers C++ library (lite version)"
 	pkg_install() {
 		vmove "usr/lib/libprotobuf-lite.so.*"
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ libprotobuf28-lite_package() {
 	}
 }
 
-libprotoc28_package() {
+libprotoc_package() {
 	short_desc="Protocol buffers compiler library"
 	pkg_install() {
 		vmove "usr/lib/libprotoc.so.*"
@@ -68,13 +69,14 @@ libprotoc28_package() {
 	}
 }
 
-libprotoc28-devel_package() {
-	depends="libprotoc28-${version}_${revision}"
+libprotoc-devel_package() {
+	depends="libprotoc-${version}_${revision}"
 	short_desc="Protocol buffers compiler library - development files"
 	# Switch to versioned package
 	conflicts="libprotoc18-devel>=0 libprotoc23-devel>=0
-	 libprotoc24-devel>=0 libprotoc25-devel>=0 libprotoc26-devel>=0"
-	replaces="libprotoc-devel<=3.11.4_1 ${conflicts}"
+	 libprotoc24-devel>=0 libprotoc25-devel>=0
+	 libprotoc26-devel>=0 libprotoc28-devel>=0"
+	replaces="${conflicts}"
 	pkg_install() {
 		vmove usr/lib/libprotoc.a
 		vmove usr/lib/libprotoc.so
@@ -82,15 +84,16 @@ libprotoc28-devel_package() {
 	}
 }
 
-protobuf28-devel_package() {
+protobuf-devel_package() {
 	depends="zlib-devel
-	 libprotobuf28-${version}_${revision}
-	 libprotobuf28-lite-${version}_${revision}"
+	 libprotobuf-${version}_${revision}
+	 libprotobuf-lite-${version}_${revision}"
 	short_desc="Protocol buffers C++ library - development files"
 	# Switch to versioned package
 	conflicts="protobuf18-devel>=0 protobuf23-devel>=0
-	 protobuf24-devel>=0 protobuf25-devel>=0 protobuf26-devel>=0"
-	replaces="protobuf-devel<=3.11.4_1 ${conflicts}"
+	 protobuf24-devel>=0 protobuf25-devel>=0
+	 protobuf26-devel>=0 protobuf28-devel>=0"
+	replaces="${conflicts}"
 	pkg_install() {
 		vmove usr/include
 		vmove usr/lib/libprotobuf.a
@@ -100,27 +103,3 @@ protobuf28-devel_package() {
 		vmove usr/lib/pkgconfig
 	}
 }
-
-protobuf_package() {
-	build_style=meta
-	short_desc="Protocol buffers compiler (meta package)"
-	depends="protobuf28"
-}
-
-protobuf-devel_package() {
-	build_style=meta
-	short_desc="Protocol buffers C++ library - development files (meta package)"
-	depends="protobuf28-devel"
-}
-
-protobuf-lite_package() {
-	build_style=meta
-	short_desc="Protocol buffers C++ library - lite version (meta package)"
-	depends="libprotobuf28-lite"
-}
-
-libprotoc-devel_package() {
-	build_style=meta
-	short_desc="Protocol buffers compiler library - development files (meta package)"
-	depends="libprotoc28-devel"
-}
diff --git a/srcpkgs/protobuf28-devel b/srcpkgs/protobuf28-devel
deleted file mode 120000
index 695e4991b43..00000000000
--- a/srcpkgs/protobuf28-devel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-protobuf28
\ No newline at end of file