diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
index 9825ca73c6f024..86832451c6adcc 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
@@ -83,8 +83,7 @@ EOF
   add_platforms "MODULE.bazel"
   add_rules_cc "MODULE.bazel"
   add_rules_java "MODULE.bazel"
-  # TODO - ilist@: point java_tools to protobuf; requires coordinated release of rules_java and java_tools
-  add_rules_proto "MODULE.bazel"
+  add_protobuf "MODULE.bazel"
   add_rules_license "MODULE.bazel"
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/shell/testenv.sh b/src/test/shell/testenv.sh
index d3a7cbe9a8809b..c1c36903b9bf43 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/testenv.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/testenv.sh
@@ -586,11 +586,6 @@ function add_rules_python() {
   add_bazel_dep "rules_python" "$1"
 }
 
-# Needed only for java_tools
-function add_rules_proto() {
-  add_bazel_dep "rules_proto" "$1"
-}
-
 function add_rules_license() {
   add_bazel_dep "rules_license" "$1"
 }
diff --git a/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools b/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
index b15ab0d1cf1c37..cc5b9974089468 100644
--- a/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
+++ b/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
+load("@protobuf//bazel:cc_proto_library.bzl", "cc_proto_library")
+load("@protobuf//bazel:proto_library.bzl", "proto_library")
+load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary", "cc_library")
+load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_import")
+
 package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
 
 exports_files(glob(["**/*.jar"]))
 
 licenses(["notice"])  # Apache 2.0
 
-load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary", "cc_library", "cc_proto_library")
-load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_import")
-# TODO - ilist@: point java_tools to protobuf; requires coordinated release of rules_java and java_tools
-load("@rules_proto//proto:defs.bzl", "proto_library")
-
 SUPRESSED_WARNINGS = select({
     ":windows": [],
     "//conditions:default": [