diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 94d01dc..fa024b6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -76,12 +76,26 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([protoc],
 if test "x$enable_protoc" != "xno"; then
   AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
 
-  AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX(11, noext, mandatory)
-
-  PKG_CHECK_MODULES([protobuf], [protobuf >= 3.0.0],
-    [proto3_supported=yes],
-    [PKG_CHECK_MODULES([protobuf], [protobuf >= 2.6.0])]
-  )
+  # PKG_CHECK_MODULES(prefix, list-of-modules, action-if-found, action-if-not-found)
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(
+    [protobuf],
+    [protobuf >= 4.22.0],
+    [
+      proto3_supported=yes
+      AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX(17, noext, mandatory)
+    ],
+    [
+      PKG_CHECK_MODULES(
+        [protobuf],
+        [protobuf >= 3.0.0],
+        [
+          proto3_supported=yes
+          AX_CXX_COMPILE_STDCXX(11, noext, mandatory)
+        ],
+        [
+          PKG_CHECK_MODULES([protobuf], [protobuf >= 2.6.0])
+        ])
+    ])
 
   save_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
   CPPFLAGS="$save_CPPFLAGS $protobuf_CFLAGS"