diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common.sh b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common.sh
index 73443896778..e566e470227 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common.sh
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common.sh
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ function install_ubuntu_16_pip_deps {
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'keras_preprocessing ~= 1.1.2'
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'numpy ~= 1.19.2'
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'opt_einsum ~= 3.3.0'
-  "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'protobuf ~= 3.9.2'
+  "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'protobuf >= 3.9.2'
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'six ~= 1.15.0'
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'termcolor ~= 1.1.0'
   "${PIP_CMD}" install --user 'typing_extensions ~= 3.7.4'
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ function install_macos_pip_deps {
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'keras_preprocessing ~= 1.1.2'
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'numpy ~= 1.19.2'
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'opt_einsum ~= 3.3.0'
-  ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'protobuf ~= 3.9.2'
+  ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'protobuf >= 3.9.2'
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'six ~= 1.15.0'
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'termcolor ~= 1.1.0'
   ${PIP_CMD} install --user 'typing_extensions ~= 3.7.4'
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common_win.bat b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common_win.bat
index 27d4b1766b9..f27ec3117ed 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common_win.bat
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/release/common_win.bat
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\%PYTHON_DIRECTORY%
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "keras_preprocessing ~= 1.1.2"
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "numpy ~= 1.19.2"
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "opt_einsum ~= 3.3.0"
-%PY_EXE% -m pip install "protobuf ~= 3.9.2"
+%PY_EXE% -m pip install "protobuf >= 3.9.2"
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "six ~= 1.15.0"
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "termcolor ~= 1.1.0"
 %PY_EXE% -m pip install "typing_extensions ~= 3.7.4"
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/setup.py b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/setup.py
index 90d38ffc306..76d030b91f7 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/setup.py
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/setup.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ REQUIRED_PACKAGES = [
     'keras_preprocessing ~= 1.1.2',
     'numpy ~= 1.19.2',
     'opt_einsum ~= 3.3.0',
-    'protobuf ~= 3.9.2',
+    'protobuf >= 3.9.2',
     'six ~= 1.15.0',
     'termcolor ~= 1.1.0',
     'typing_extensions ~= 3.7.4',