diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0bd4b23d..a2771d3c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,4 +12,5 @@ node_modules
 **/libs/AppFlowy-Collab/
 data/
 .env
-.logs
\ No newline at end of file
+.logs
+shell.nix
diff --git a/libs/realtime-entity/build.rs b/libs/realtime-entity/build.rs
index 4b11e89e..d78928fb 100644
--- a/libs/realtime-entity/build.rs
+++ b/libs/realtime-entity/build.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 use std::process::Command;
 
 fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-  let protoc_path = protoc_bin_vendored::protoc_bin_path().expect("protoc bin path");
-  let protoc_path_str = protoc_path.to_str().expect("protoc path to str");
+  // If the `PROTOC` environment variable is set, don't use vendored `protoc`
+  std::env::var("PROTOC").map(|_| ()).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+    let protoc_path = protoc_bin_vendored::protoc_bin_path().expect("protoc bin path");
+    let protoc_path_str = protoc_path.to_str().expect("protoc path to str");
 
-  // Set the `PROTOC` environment variable to the path of the `protoc` binary.
-  std::env::set_var("PROTOC", protoc_path_str);
+    // Set the `PROTOC` environment variable to the path of the `protoc` binary.
+    std::env::set_var("PROTOC", protoc_path_str);
+  });
 
   prost_build::Config::new()
     .out_dir("src/")