diff --git a/cmd/cue/cmd/import.go b/cmd/cue/cmd/import.go
index a48416b64..2bdae4d18 100644
--- a/cmd/cue/cmd/import.go
+++ b/cmd/cue/cmd/import.go
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ import (
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue/load"
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue/parser"
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue/token"
+	"cuelang.org/go/encoding/protobuf"
 	"cuelang.org/go/internal"
-	"cuelang.org/go/internal/protobuf"
 	"cuelang.org/go/internal/third_party/yaml"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/cue/cue.proto b/encoding/protobuf/cue/cue.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/cue/cue.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/cue/cue.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/debug.test b/encoding/protobuf/debug.test
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/debug.test
rename to encoding/protobuf/debug.test
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/errors.go b/encoding/protobuf/errors.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/errors.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/errors.go
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/examples/basic/basic.proto b/encoding/protobuf/examples/basic/basic.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/examples/basic/basic.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/examples/basic/basic.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/examples_test.go b/encoding/protobuf/examples_test.go
similarity index 97%
rename from internal/protobuf/examples_test.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/examples_test.go
index 1ee23fa74..9e8cba417 100644
--- a/internal/protobuf/examples_test.go
+++ b/encoding/protobuf/examples_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"cuelang.org/go/cue/format"
-	"cuelang.org/go/internal/protobuf"
+	"cuelang.org/go/encoding/protobuf"
 )
 
 func ExampleParse() {
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/parse.go b/encoding/protobuf/parse.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/parse.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/parse.go
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/protobuf.go b/encoding/protobuf/protobuf.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/protobuf.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/protobuf.go
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/protobuf_test.go b/encoding/protobuf/protobuf_test.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/protobuf_test.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/protobuf_test.go
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/attributes.proto.out.cue b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/attributes.proto.out.cue
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/attributes.proto.out.cue
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/attributes.proto.out.cue
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/client_config.proto.out.cue b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/client_config.proto.out.cue
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/client_config.proto.out.cue
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/client_config.proto.out.cue
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/cue.proto.out.cue b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/cue.proto.out.cue
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/cue.proto.out.cue
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/cue.proto.out.cue
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/gateway.proto.out.cue b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/gateway.proto.out.cue
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/gateway.proto.out.cue
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/gateway.proto.out.cue
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/any.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/any.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/any.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/any.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/api.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/api.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/api.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/api.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/descriptor.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/descriptor.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/descriptor.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/descriptor.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/duration.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/duration.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/duration.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/duration.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/empty.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/empty.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/empty.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/empty.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/field_mask.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/field_mask.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/field_mask.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/field_mask.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/source_context.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/source_context.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/source_context.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/source_context.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/struct.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/struct.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/struct.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/struct.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/timestamp.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/timestamp.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/timestamp.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/timestamp.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/type.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/type.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/type.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/type.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/wrappers.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/wrappers.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/wrappers.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/google/protobuf/wrappers.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/attributes.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/attributes.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/attributes.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/attributes.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/api_spec.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/api_spec.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/api_spec.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/api_spec.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/client_config.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/client_config.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/client_config.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/client_config.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/quota.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/quota.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/quota.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/quota.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/service.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/service.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/service.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/config/client/service.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/mixer.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/mixer.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/mixer.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/mixer/v1/mixer.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/testdata/networking/v1alpha3/gateway.proto b/encoding/protobuf/testdata/networking/v1alpha3/gateway.proto
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/testdata/networking/v1alpha3/gateway.proto
rename to encoding/protobuf/testdata/networking/v1alpha3/gateway.proto
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/types.go b/encoding/protobuf/types.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/types.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/types.go
diff --git a/internal/protobuf/util.go b/encoding/protobuf/util.go
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/protobuf/util.go
rename to encoding/protobuf/util.go