diff --git a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.15.8.ebuild b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.15.8.ebuild
index dd91ba9be92ae..6c648819d2d6f 100644
--- a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.15.8.ebuild
+++ b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.15.8.ebuild
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ IUSE=""
 BDEPEND="~dev-libs/protobuf-${PV}
 	>=virtual/jdk-1.7"
 DEPEND=">=virtual/jdk-1.7"
-RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.7
-	!<dev-libs/protobuf-3[java(-)]"
+RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.7"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/protobuf-${PV}/java"
 
diff --git a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.16.0.ebuild b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.16.0.ebuild
index 0c639fe2105a8..96752936a1700 100644
--- a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.16.0.ebuild
+++ b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-3.16.0.ebuild
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ IUSE=""
 BDEPEND="~dev-libs/protobuf-${PV}
 	>=virtual/jdk-1.8:*"
 DEPEND=">=virtual/jdk-1.8:*"
-RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.8:*
-	!<dev-libs/protobuf-3[java(-)]"
+RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.8:*"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/protobuf-${PV}/java"
 
diff --git a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-9999.ebuild b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-9999.ebuild
index 19bed69c6fd99..11d9796bf9000 100644
--- a/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-java/protobuf-java/protobuf-java-9999.ebuild
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ IUSE=""
 BDEPEND="~dev-libs/protobuf-${PV}
 	>=virtual/jdk-1.8:*"
 DEPEND=">=virtual/jdk-1.8:*"
-RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.8:*
-	!<dev-libs/protobuf-3[java(-)]"
+RDEPEND=">=virtual/jre-1.8:*"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/protobuf-${PV}/java"