diff --git a/LICENSE-binary b/LICENSE-binary
index 7a58725..cd0dda2 100644
--- a/LICENSE-binary
+++ b/LICENSE-binary
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ See licenses-binary/ for text of these licenses.
 
 BSD 3-Clause
 ------------
-com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:3.20.1
+com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:3.21.1
 
 
 MIT License
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 79f1282..a379dd7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
     <!--thirdparty dependency versions-->
     <shaded.prefix>org.apache.hadoop.thirdparty</shaded.prefix>
     <protobuf.shade.prefix>${shaded.prefix}.protobuf</protobuf.shade.prefix>
-    <protobuf_3.version>3.20.1</protobuf_3.version>
+    <protobuf_3.version>3.21.1</protobuf_3.version>
     <guava.version>30.1.1-jre</guava.version>
 
     <!-- maven plugin versions -->
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/index.md.vm b/src/site/markdown/index.md.vm
index fcaba6d..8e27993 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/index.md.vm
+++ b/src/site/markdown/index.md.vm
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ This page provides an overview of the major changes.
 
 Protobuf-java
 -------------
-Google Protobuf's 3.7.1 jar is available as *org.apache.hadoop.thirdparty:hadoop-shaded-protobuf_3_7* artifact.
+Google Protobuf's 3.21.1 jar is available as *org.apache.hadoop.thirdparty:hadoop-shaded-protobuf_3_7* artifact.
 
 Following are relocations under *hadoop-shaded-protobuf_3_7* artifact: