diff --git a/BUILD b/BUILD
index bfdd4772ffe..e69de29bb2d 100644
--- a/BUILD
+++ b/BUILD
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-# Description:
-# TensorFlow is an open source software library for numerical computation using
-# data flow graphs.
-
-package(
-    default_visibility = [
-        "//tensorflow:internal",
-        "//tensorflow_models:__subpackages__",
-    ],
-)
-
-licenses(["notice"])  # Apache 2.0
-
-exports_files(["LICENSE"])
-
-load(
-    "//tensorflow:tensorflow.bzl",
-    "cc_header_only_library",
-)
-
-cc_header_only_library(
-    name = "protobuf_headers",
-    includes = ["external/protobuf/src"],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-    deps = [
-        "@protobuf//:protobuf",
-    ],
-)
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/factorization/kernels/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/factorization/kernels/BUILD
index 6d815a67e78..195a58e0408 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/factorization/kernels/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/factorization/kernels/BUILD
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ cc_library(
         ":clustering_ops",
         ":masked_matmul_ops",
         ":wals_solver_ops",
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ cc_library(
     name = "wals_solver_ops",
     srcs = ["wals_solver_ops.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ cc_library(
     name = "clustering_ops",
     srcs = ["clustering_ops.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ cc_library(
     name = "masked_matmul_ops",
     srcs = ["masked_matmul_ops.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/ffmpeg/default/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/ffmpeg/default/BUILD
index 2024bbda707..bf8419c04a6 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/ffmpeg/default/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/ffmpeg/default/BUILD
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ cc_library(
         "//tensorflow/contrib/ffmpeg:ffmpeg_lib.h",
     ],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/input_pipeline/kernels/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/input_pipeline/kernels/BUILD
index c47ba37e268..99bf1c87430 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/input_pipeline/kernels/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/input_pipeline/kernels/BUILD
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ cc_library(
     name = "input_pipeline_kernels",
     srcs = ["input_pipeline_kernels.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/layers/kernels/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/layers/kernels/BUILD
index 827a9d206e0..7a2d6d8c4f7 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/layers/kernels/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/layers/kernels/BUILD
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ cc_library(
     name = "bucketization_kernel",
     srcs = ["bucketization_kernel.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ cc_library(
     name = "sparse_feature_cross_kernel",
     srcs = ["sparse_feature_cross_kernel.cc"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
         "@farmhash_archive//:farmhash",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/BUILD
index e38a21b2ed5..fc2fe6a9411 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/BUILD
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ cc_library(
     srcs = [":custom_op_sources"],
     hdrs = [":custom_op_headers"],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
     alwayslink = 1,
 )
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ cc_library(
         "kernels/tree_utils.h",
     ],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/hybrid/BUILD b/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/hybrid/BUILD
index 74a02142a78..8a8263c8013 100644
--- a/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/hybrid/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/contrib/tensor_forest/hybrid/BUILD
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ cc_library(
         "core/ops/utils.h",
     ],
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
         "//third_party/eigen3",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/python/BUILD b/tensorflow/python/BUILD
index f2d32f45b67..77a7a93eab3 100644
--- a/tensorflow/python/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/python/BUILD
@@ -254,8 +254,8 @@ cc_binary(
     }),
     linkshared = 1,
     deps = [
-        "//:protobuf_headers",
         "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
+        "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
index cb6b43b6251..4edbd0b70e3 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
+++ b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ def cc_header_only_library(name, deps=[], **kwargs):
 
 def tf_custom_op_library_additional_deps():
   return [
-      "//:protobuf_headers",
+      "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
       "//third_party/eigen3",
       "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
   ]
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
index b318fd6eadc..6a3f66b0fa6 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/pip_package/BUILD
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ py_binary(
 filegroup(
     name = "licenses",
     data = [
-        "//:LICENSE",
         "//third_party/eigen3:LICENSE",
         "//third_party/hadoop:LICENSE.txt",
         "@boringssl//:LICENSE",