diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index a829273..8996708 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ module(
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "7.0.2")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "0.37.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "28.3")
+# TF proto version is protobuf-3.21.9, and per proto engdoc
+# https://protobuf.dev/support/version-support/
+# The major version saparation happens at 21.x == 3.21
+# so we pick 21.7, which is the same generation as 3.21.9
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "21.7")
 bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.15.2")
 bazel_dep(name = "abseil-cpp", version = "20240722.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "abseil-py", version = "2.1.0")
@@ -32,6 +36,13 @@ bazel_dep(name = "eigen", version = "3.4.0.bcr.3")
 bazel_dep(name = "riegeli", version = "0.0.0-20241218-3385e3c")
 bazel_dep(name = "pybind11_bazel", version = "2.12.0")
 
+single_version_override(
+    module_name = "riegeli",
+    patch_strip = 1,
+    patches = ["//patches:riegeli.patch"],
+    version = "0.0.0-20241218-3385e3c",
+)
+
 SUPPORTED_PYTHON_VERSIONS = [
     "3.10",
     "3.11",
diff --git a/oss/build_whl.sh b/oss/build_whl.sh
index 6084176..0cce6e0 100755
--- a/oss/build_whl.sh
+++ b/oss/build_whl.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function main() {
   write_to_bazelrc "build --cxxopt=-std=c++17"
   write_to_bazelrc "build --host_cxxopt=-std=c++17"
   write_to_bazelrc "build --experimental_repo_remote_exec"
-  write_to_bazelrc "common --check_direct_dependencies=error"
+  # write_to_bazelrc "common --check_direct_dependencies=error"
   PLATFORM="$(uname)"
 
   if [ -n "${CROSSTOOL_TOP}" ]; then
@@ -91,11 +91,12 @@ function main() {
   $PYTHON_BIN -c 'import array_record'
   $PYTHON_BIN -c 'from array_record.python import array_record_data_source'
   # TF is not available on Python 3.13 and above.
-  if [ "$(uname)" != "Darwin" ] && (( "${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}" < 13 )); then
+  # if [ "$(uname)" != "Darwin" ] && (( "${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}" < 13 )); then
+  if (( "${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}" < 13 )); then
     $PYTHON_BIN -m pip install jax tensorflow grain
     $PYTHON_BIN oss/test_import_grain.py
     $PYTHON_BIN oss/test_import_tensorflow.py
   fi
 }
 
-main
\ No newline at end of file
+main
diff --git a/patches/BUILD b/patches/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34b9506
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+package(licenses = ["notice"])
diff --git a/patches/riegeli.patch b/patches/riegeli.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0b1ce2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/riegeli.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
+index 2c1f801c..5d864a1c 100644
+--- a/MODULE.bazel
++++ b/MODULE.bazel
+@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ bazel_dep(
+ )
+ bazel_dep(
+     name = "protobuf",
+-    version = "28.3",
++    version = "21.7",
+     repo_name = "com_google_protobuf",
+ )
+ bazel_dep(