diff --git chrome/browser/privacy/BUILD.gn chrome/browser/privacy/BUILD.gn
index cd1f57e009f50..f93721e39e559 100644
--- chrome/browser/privacy/BUILD.gn
+++ chrome/browser/privacy/BUILD.gn
@@ -93,11 +93,15 @@ if (is_win || is_linux) {
     ]
     proto_deps = [ "//components/policy:full_runtime_code_generate" ]
     proto_out_dir = "/chrome/browser/privacy"
+    generate_cc = false
+    generate_library = false
   }
 
   proto_library("traffic_annotation_proto") {
     sources = [ "traffic_annotation.proto" ]
     proto_deps = [ ":chrome_settings_full_runtime" ]
     import_dirs = [ "$root_gen_dir" + "/components/policy/proto" ]
+    generate_cc = false
+    generate_library = false
   }
 }
diff --git third_party/protobuf/proto_library.gni third_party/protobuf/proto_library.gni
index a6943f5896cba..1561a868ccef9 100644
--- third_party/protobuf/proto_library.gni
+++ third_party/protobuf/proto_library.gni
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 #   generate_javascript (optional, default false)
 #       Generate Javascript protobuf stubs.
 #
+#   generate_library (optional, default true)
+#       Generate a "static_library" target for linking with the generated code.
+#
 #   cc_generator_options (optional)
 #       List of extra flags passed to the protocol compiler.  If you need to
 #       add an EXPORT macro to a protobuf's C++ header, set the
@@ -266,14 +269,21 @@ template("proto_library") {
   protogens_cc = []
   protogens_js = []
 
+  # Whether source code bindings should be generated.
+  generate_sources = generate_cc || generate_python || generate_with_plugin ||
+                     generate_javascript
+
   # Whether library should be generated.
   # Library is not needed when proto_library is used to generate binary descriptor, in which case
   # corresponding library target should be omitted entirely.
-  generate_library = generate_cc || generate_python || generate_with_plugin ||
-                     generate_javascript
+  if (defined(invoker.generate_library)) {
+    generate_library = invoker.generate_library
+  } else {
+    generate_library = generate_sources
+  }
 
   # List output files.
-  if (generate_library) {
+  if (generate_sources) {
     foreach(proto, protos) {
       proto_dir = get_path_info(proto, "dir")
       proto_name = get_path_info(proto, "name")