diff --git a/proto/CMakeLists.txt b/proto/CMakeLists.txt
index 461c73f14c2dc9377cc39ebb8f1273eee81730a3..ec68b53d440185f869566e2975a65d0c3fec5bc5 100644
--- a/proto/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/proto/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+execute_process(COMMAND ${PROTOBUF_PROTOC_EXECUTABLE} --version
+	OUTPUT_VARIABLE PROTOBUF_VERSION)
+string(REPLACE "libprotoc " "" PROTOBUF_VERSION ${PROTOBUF_VERSION})
+
+set(PROTOBUF_3 OFF)
+if (${PROTOBUF_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER "3.0.0" OR ${PROTOBUF_VERSION} VERSION_EQUAL "3.0.0")
+    set(PROTOBUF_3 ON)
+endif()
+
 set(proto_filenames
     DataConfig.proto
     DataFormat.proto
@@ -11,8 +20,12 @@ set(real_proto_files)
 # TODO(yuyang18): Some internal proto will also be depended on.
 #                 Find a way to automatically calculate all depends.
 foreach(filename ${proto_filenames})
+    set(PROTOBUF_3_FLAGS "")
+    if (PROTOBUF_3)
+        set(PROTOBUF_3_FLAGS "-Dproto3")
+    endif()
     add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${filename}
-        COMMAND ${M4_EXECUTABLE} -Dreal=${ACCURACY} -I '${INTERNAL_PROTO_PATH}'
+	COMMAND ${M4_EXECUTABLE} -Dreal=${ACCURACY} ${PROTOBUF_3_FLAGS} -I '${INTERNAL_PROTO_PATH}'
               ${PROJ_ROOT}/proto/${filename}.m4 > ${filename}
         DEPENDS ${PROJ_ROOT}/proto/${filename}.m4
         COMMENT "Generate ${filename}")
diff --git a/proto/DataConfig.proto.m4 b/proto/DataConfig.proto.m4
index 9862e4e7ef2ff96eafc91246e0b435c70fbe31d9..01d451ff7d5334f8f84d28973c2d7c4b4fac5885 100644
--- a/proto/DataConfig.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/DataConfig.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 package paddle;
 
diff --git a/proto/DataFormat.proto.m4 b/proto/DataFormat.proto.m4
index 556eace5e194ef26991cc06d1f7794f14fbbdded..8a4a0be1b31a62cca35ca732a037ddc8b20786c4 100644
--- a/proto/DataFormat.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/DataFormat.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 package paddle;
 
diff --git a/proto/ModelConfig.proto.m4 b/proto/ModelConfig.proto.m4
index c835cfd5221c8579b383c0a6f0b2f0f554eac6d2..68a5eb9dd2231b47cc8f83696ab18fdb907c44c0 100644
--- a/proto/ModelConfig.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/ModelConfig.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 import "ParameterConfig.proto";
 
diff --git a/proto/ParameterConfig.proto.m4 b/proto/ParameterConfig.proto.m4
index e8d512445e5025f5663fbe3e20b4425cf1633a2b..26e7c3ef77b7377b8d6da4d947bcad27ae4edf72 100644
--- a/proto/ParameterConfig.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/ParameterConfig.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 package paddle;
 
diff --git a/proto/ParameterService.proto.m4 b/proto/ParameterService.proto.m4
index 189dc1c9700bd821959bab80aef3721bd4940b5c..0b3f14a2ee5b3e1771f724bd9d271a3ecfd15038 100644
--- a/proto/ParameterService.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/ParameterService.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 import "ParameterConfig.proto";
 import "TrainerConfig.proto";
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ package paddle;
 /**
  * Various structs for communicating with parameter server
  */
-
 enum ParameterUpdateMode {
   // Set parameter
    PSERVER_UPDATE_MODE_SET_PARAM = 0;//use local param
diff --git a/proto/TrainerConfig.proto.m4 b/proto/TrainerConfig.proto.m4
index 3b0e24f90bed8cdf0e102c12d2a4a041c17a8447..965c9cd39353970dd547f2a595eb99531f3693c6 100644
--- a/proto/TrainerConfig.proto.m4
+++ b/proto/TrainerConfig.proto.m4
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License. */
+ifdef(`proto3', `syntax = "proto2";')
 
 import "DataConfig.proto";
 import "ModelConfig.proto";