diff --git a/protos/Makefile b/protos/Makefile
index 52e36b0..08967bf 100644
--- a/protos/Makefile
+++ b/protos/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#
 # Copyright 2017 the original author or authors.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
@@ -12,28 +11,20 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-#
 
 # Makefile to build all protobuf and gRPC related artifacts
 
-ifeq ($(VOLTHA_BASE)_set,_set)
-  $(error To get started, please source the env.sh file from Voltha top level directory)
-endif
-
 default: build
 
 PROTO_FILES := $(wildcard *.proto)
 PROTO_PB2_FILES := $(foreach f,$(PROTO_FILES),$(subst .proto,_pb2.py,$(f)))
 PROTO_DESC_FILES := $(foreach f,$(PROTO_FILES),$(subst .proto,.desc,$(f)))
 
-PROTOC_PREFIX := /usr/local
-PROTOC_LIBDIR := $(PROTOC_PREFIX)/lib
-
 build: $(PROTO_PB2_FILES)
 
 %_pb2.py: %.proto Makefile
 	@echo "Building protocol buffer artifacts from $<"
-	env LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(PROTOC_LIBDIR) python -m grpc.tools.protoc \
+	env python -m grpc.tools.protoc \
 	    -I. \
 	    --python_out=. \
 	    --grpc_python_out=. \