diff --git a/docker/owlbot/nodejs_mono_repo/Dockerfile b/docker/owlbot/nodejs_mono_repo/Dockerfile
index 1b674bf2b..925f9de5e 100644
--- a/docker/owlbot/nodejs_mono_repo/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/owlbot/nodejs_mono_repo/Dockerfile
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ RUN find /synthtool -type d -exec chmod a+x {} \;
 
 # Install dependencies used for post processing:
 # * gts/typescript are used for linting.
-# * google-gax and gapic-tools are used for compiling protos.
-RUN cd /synthtool && mkdir node_modules && npm i gts@5.0.0 google-gax@4.0.3 \
-    typescript@5.1.6 @google-cloud/typeless-sample-bot@1.3.3 gapic-tools@0.1.8
+RUN cd /synthtool && mkdir node_modules && npm i gts@5.0.0 \
+    typescript@5.1.6 @google-cloud/typeless-sample-bot@1.3.3
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "/bin/bash", "/synthtool/docker/owlbot/nodejs_mono_repo/entrypoint.sh" ]
diff --git a/synthtool/languages/node.py b/synthtool/languages/node.py
index 9f3091d2e..ec3d9c02d 100644
--- a/synthtool/languages/node.py
+++ b/synthtool/languages/node.py
@@ -234,43 +234,16 @@ def fix_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     )
 
 
-def compile_protos(hide_output=False):
-    """
-    Compiles protos into .json, .js, and .d.ts files using
-    compileProtos script from google-gax.
-    """
-    logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
-    shell.run(["npx", "compileProtos", "src"], hide_output=hide_output)
-
-
-# TODO: delete these functions if it turns out we no longer
-# need them to be hermetic.
-def compile_protos_hermetic(hide_output=False):
-    """
-    Compiles protos into .json, .js, and .d.ts files using
-    compileProtos script from google-gax. Assumes that compileProtos
-    is already installed in a well known location on disk (node_modules/.bin).
-    """
-    logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
-    shell.run(
-        ["node_modules/.bin/compileProtos", "src"],
-        check=True,
-        hide_output=hide_output,
-    )
-
-
 def postprocess_gapic_library(hide_output=False):
     logger.debug("Post-processing GAPIC library...")
     install(hide_output=hide_output)
     fix(hide_output=hide_output)
-    compile_protos(hide_output=hide_output)
     logger.debug("Post-processing completed")
 
 
 def postprocess_gapic_library_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     logger.debug("Post-processing GAPIC library...")
     fix(hide_output=hide_output)
-    compile_protos(hide_output=hide_output)
     logger.debug("Post-processing completed")
 
 
diff --git a/synthtool/languages/node_mono_repo.py b/synthtool/languages/node_mono_repo.py
index 74191d2c1..3ab018f01 100644
--- a/synthtool/languages/node_mono_repo.py
+++ b/synthtool/languages/node_mono_repo.py
@@ -335,52 +335,16 @@ def fix_hermetic(relative_dir, hide_output=False):
     )
 
 
-def compile_protos(hide_output=False, is_esm=False):
-    """
-    Compiles protos into .json, .js, and .d.ts files using
-    compileProtos script from google-gax.
-    """
-    logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
-    command = (
-        ["npx", "compileProtos", "src"]
-        if not is_esm
-        else ["npx", "compileProtos", "esm/src", "--esm"]
-    )
-    shell.run(command, hide_output=hide_output)
-
-
-def compile_protos_hermetic(relative_dir, is_esm=False, hide_output=False):
-    """
-    Compiles protos into .json, .js, and .d.ts files using
-    compileProtos script from google-gax. Assumes that compileProtos
-    is already installed in a well known location on disk (node_modules/.bin).
-    """
-    logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
-    command = (
-        [f"{_TOOLS_DIRECTORY}/node_modules/.bin/compileProtos", "esm/src", "--esm"]
-        if not is_esm
-        else [f"{_TOOLS_DIRECTORY}/node_modules/.bin/compileProtos", "esm/src", "--esm"]
-    )
-    shell.run(
-        command,
-        cwd=relative_dir,
-        check=True,
-        hide_output=hide_output,
-    )
-
-
 def postprocess_gapic_library(hide_output=False, is_esm=False):
     logger.debug("Post-processing GAPIC library...")
     install(hide_output=hide_output)
     fix(hide_output=hide_output)
-    compile_protos(hide_output=hide_output, is_esm=is_esm)
     logger.debug("Post-processing completed")
 
 
 def postprocess_gapic_library_hermetic(relative_dir, hide_output=False, is_esm=False):
     logger.debug("Post-processing GAPIC library...")
     fix_hermetic(relative_dir, hide_output=hide_output)
-    compile_protos_hermetic(relative_dir, hide_output=hide_output, is_esm=is_esm)
     logger.debug("Post-processing completed")
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_node.py b/tests/test_node.py
index cd48d62f2..297fee1af 100644
--- a/tests/test_node.py
+++ b/tests/test_node.py
@@ -169,19 +169,12 @@ def test_fix(self, shell_run_mock):
         calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
         assert any(["npm run fix" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
 
-    @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
-    def test_compile_protos(self, shell_run_mock):
-        node.compile_protos()
-        calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
-        assert any(["npx compileProtos src" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
-
     @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
     def test_postprocess_gapic_library(self, shell_run_mock):
         node.postprocess_gapic_library()
         calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
         assert any(["npm install" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
         assert any(["npm run fix" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
-        assert any(["npx compileProtos src" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
 
 
 # postprocess_gapic_library_hermetic() must be mocked because it depends on node modules
diff --git a/tests/test_node_mono_repo.py b/tests/test_node_mono_repo.py
index c91373878..ce414a070 100644
--- a/tests/test_node_mono_repo.py
+++ b/tests/test_node_mono_repo.py
@@ -354,30 +354,12 @@ def test_fix(self, shell_run_mock):
         calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
         assert any(["npm run fix" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
 
-    @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
-    def test_compile_protos(self, shell_run_mock):
-        node_mono_repo.compile_protos()
-        calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
-        assert any(["npx compileProtos src" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
-
-    @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
-    def test_compile_protos_esm(self, shell_run_mock):
-        node_mono_repo.compile_protos(is_esm=True)
-        calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
-        assert any(
-            [
-                "npx compileProtos esm/src --esm" in " ".join(call[0][0])
-                for call in calls
-            ]
-        )
-
     @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
     def test_postprocess_gapic_library(self, shell_run_mock):
         node_mono_repo.postprocess_gapic_library()
         calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
         assert any(["npm install" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
         assert any(["npm run fix" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
-        assert any(["npx compileProtos src" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
 
     @patch("synthtool.shell.run")
     def test_postprocess_gapic_library_esm(self, shell_run_mock):
@@ -385,12 +367,6 @@ def test_postprocess_gapic_library_esm(self, shell_run_mock):
         calls = shell_run_mock.call_args_list
         assert any(["npm install" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
         assert any(["npm run fix" in " ".join(call[0][0]) for call in calls])
-        assert any(
-            [
-                "npx compileProtos esm/src --esm" in " ".join(call[0][0])
-                for call in calls
-            ]
-        )
 
 
 # postprocess_gapic_library_hermetic() must be mocked because it depends on node modules