diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2d479f8..3f70724 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ project(gz-python)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
 
 set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
@@ -15,50 +16,48 @@ option(BUILD_TESTS "Build tests." OFF)
 
 #============================================================================
 # Find Python
-# 
-# macOS: $ brew install python
-# macOS: $ brew install pybind11
-# 
-find_package(Python 3.10 EXACT COMPONENTS Interpreter Development)
 
-#============================================================================
-# Find Gazebo dependencies
-
-# Default versions to Gazebo Garden
-set(GZ_MSGS_VER 9)
-set(GZ_TRANSPORT_VER 12)
-
-if("$ENV{GZ_VERSION}" STREQUAL "garden")
-  # Garden
-  message(STATUS "Compiling against Gazebo Garden")
-else() 
-  # Default to Garden
-  message(STATUS "Compiling against Gazebo Garden")
-endif()
-
-find_package(gz-msgs${GZ_MSGS_VER} REQUIRED)
-find_package(gz-transport${GZ_TRANSPORT_VER} REQUIRED)
+find_package(Python COMPONENTS Interpreter Development)
 
 #============================================================================
 # Build dependencies
 
-set(_protobuf_repository "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf.git")
-set(_protobuf_version 21.5)
-set(_protobuf_tag v21.5)
+set(_absl_repository "https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git")
+set(_absl_version 20230802)
+set(_absl_tag 20230802.1)
+find_package(absl ${_absl_version} QUIET)
 
-set(_pybind11_protobuf_repository "https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_protobuf.git")
+set(_protobuf_repository "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf.git")
+set(_protobuf_version 3.25.0)
+set(_protobuf_tag v25.0)
+# do not use system protobuf as it will not include proto_api.h
+# see also: https://github.com/pybind/pybind11_protobuf/issues/127
+# find_package(Protobuf ${_protobuf_version} QUIET)
+
+set(_pybind11_repository "https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git")
+set(_pybind11_version 2.11.1)
+set(_pybind11_tag v2.11.1)
+find_package(pybind11 ${_pybind11_version} QUIET)
+
+set(_pybind11_protobuf_repository "https://github.com/srmainwaring/pybind11_protobuf.git")
 set(_pybind11_protobuf_version 0.0.0)
-set(_pybind11_protobuf_tag main)
+set(_pybind11_protobuf_tag prs/pr-proto-api-fix)
+find_package(pybind11_protobuf ${_pybind11_version} QUIET)
 
 add_subdirectory(cmake/dependencies dependencies)
 list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/dependencies/install)
 
 message("pybind11_protobuf_FOUND: ${pybind11_protobuf_FOUND}")
 message("pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR: ${pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}")
-message("pybind11_protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS: ${pybind11_protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+message("pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR: ${pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}")
+message("protobuf_SOURCE_DIR: ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}")
 
 # TODO fix upstream...
-set(pybind11_protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS ${pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR})
+set(pybind11_protobuf_INCLUDE_DIRS
+  ${pybind11_protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}
+  ${protobuf_SOURCE_DIR}
+)
+
 
 #============================================================================
 # gz_msgs_extras_lib C++ library
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
index 9b7ae72..4dc954a 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,9 +3,19 @@ include(FetchContent)
 #============================================================================
 # Declare all dependencies first
 
-find_package(Protobuf ${_protobuf_version} EXACT QUIET)
+if(NOT absl_FOUND)
+  set(ABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD ON)
+  set(ABSL_ENABLE_INSTALL ON)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    absl
+    GIT_REPOSITORY ${_absl_repository}
+    GIT_TAG ${_absl_tag})
+endif()
+
 if(NOT Protobuf_FOUND)
-  set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS OFF CACHE INTERNAL "")
+  set(protobuf_BUILD_TESTS
+    OFF
+    CACHE INTERNAL "")
   FetchContent_Declare(
     Protobuf
     GIT_REPOSITORY ${_protobuf_repository}
@@ -14,7 +24,14 @@ if(NOT Protobuf_FOUND)
   )
 endif()
 
-find_package(pybind11_protobuf ${_pybind11_protobuf_version} EXACT QUIET)
+if(NOT pybind11_FOUND)
+  set(PYBIND11_TEST OFF)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    pybind11
+    GIT_REPOSITORY ${_pybind11_repository}
+    GIT_TAG ${_pybind11_tag})
+endif()
+
 if(NOT pybind11_protobuf_FOUND)
   FetchContent_Declare(
     pybind11_protobuf
@@ -26,6 +43,14 @@ endif()
 #============================================================================
 # Make dependencies avaialble
 
+if(NOT absl_FOUND)
+  message(CHECK_START "Fetching Abseil-cpp")
+  list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(absl)
+  list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
+  message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
+endif()
+
 if(NOT Protobuf_FOUND)
   message(CHECK_START "Fetching Protobuf")
   list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
@@ -34,6 +59,14 @@ if(NOT Protobuf_FOUND)
   message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
 endif()
 
+if(NOT pybind11_FOUND)
+  message(CHECK_START "Fetching pybind11")
+  list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(pybind11)
+  list(POP_BACK CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT)
+  message(CHECK_PASS "fetched")
+endif()
+
 if(NOT pybind11_protobuf_FOUND)
   message(CHECK_START "Fetching pybind11_protobuf")
   list(APPEND CMAKE_MESSAGE_INDENT "  ")