diff --git a/libs/protobuf/Makefile b/libs/protobuf/Makefile
index cc314bbea..59ac2b709 100644
--- a/libs/protobuf/Makefile
+++ b/libs/protobuf/Makefile
@@ -8,25 +8,23 @@
 include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=protobuf
-PKG_VERSION:=3.14.0
-PKG_RELEASE:=2
+PKG_VERSION:=3.15.6
+PKG_RELEASE:=$(AUTORELEASE)
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-cpp-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/download/v$(PKG_VERSION)
-PKG_HASH:=50ec5a07c0c55d4ec536dd49021f2e194a26bfdbc531d03d1e9d4d3e27175659
+PKG_HASH:=bbdfb7455431d7d58666e8a2996d14b236718ff238eecde10646581e4c87f168
 
 PKG_MAINTAINER:=Ken Keys <kkeys@caida.org>
 PKG_LICENSE:=BSD-3-Clause
 PKG_LICENSE_FILES:=LICENSE
 PKG_CPE_ID:=cpe:/a:google:protobuf
 
-HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL:=1
-PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL:=1
 CMAKE_SOURCE_SUBDIR:=cmake
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host-build.mk
-include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/cmake.mk
+include ../../devel/ninja/ninja-cmake.mk
 
 define Package/protobuf/Default
   SECTION:=libs
diff --git a/libs/protobuf/patches/020-threads.patch b/libs/protobuf/patches/020-threads.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 4b8301cfe..000000000
--- a/libs/protobuf/patches/020-threads.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-From db2c4f357432ee18975a69af71f50ed415584829 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
-From: Rosen Penev <rosenp@gmail.com>
-Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2020 20:54:48 -0800
-Subject: [PATCH] remove CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT from pkgconfig CFLAGS
-
-This is a linker flag and does not belong in CFLAGS.
-
-Fixes an issue with ola and protobuf.
-
-Signed-off-by: Rosen Penev <rosenp@gmail.com>
----
- cmake/protobuf-lite.pc.cmake | 2 +-
- cmake/protobuf.pc.cmake      | 2 +-
- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
-
---- a/cmake/protobuf-lite.pc.cmake
-+++ b/cmake/protobuf-lite.pc.cmake
-@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ Name: Protocol Buffers
- Description: Google's Data Interchange Format
- Version: @protobuf_VERSION@
- Libs: -L${libdir} -lprotobuf-lite @CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT@
--Cflags: -I${includedir} @CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT@
-+Cflags: -I${includedir}
- Conflicts: protobuf
---- a/cmake/protobuf.pc.cmake
-+++ b/cmake/protobuf.pc.cmake
-@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ Name: Protocol Buffers
- Description: Google's Data Interchange Format
- Version: @protobuf_VERSION@
- Libs: -L${libdir} -lprotobuf @CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT@
--Cflags: -I${includedir} @CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT@
-+Cflags: -I${includedir}
- Conflicts: protobuf-lite