diff --git a/srcpkgs/python-protobuf/template b/srcpkgs/python-protobuf/template
index 0485f0d930d..0a27b3223e7 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/python-protobuf/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/python-protobuf/template
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 # Template file for 'python-protobuf'
 pkgname=python-protobuf
 version=3.13.0
-revision=1
-archs=noarch
+revision=2
 wrksrc="${pkgname#*-}-${version}"
 build_style=python-module
-hostmakedepends="python-setuptools python3-setuptools"
+hostmakedepends="python-setuptools python3-setuptools python-wheel python3-wheel"
 depends="python-setuptools python-six"
 short_desc="Python2 bindings for Google Protocol Buffers"
 maintainer="Andrew J. Hesford <ajh@sideband.org>"
@@ -14,13 +13,22 @@ homepage="https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/"
 distfiles="${PYPI_SITE}/p/protobuf/protobuf-${version}.tar.gz"
 checksum=6a82e0c8bb2bf58f606040cc5814e07715b2094caeba281e2e7d0b0e2e397db5
 
+build_options="cppext"
+build_options_default="cppext"
+desc_option_cppext="Build C++ extension to improve performance"
+
+if [ "$build_option_cppext" ]; then
+	make_build_args="--cpp_implementation"
+	make_install_args="--cpp_implementation"
+	makedepends+=" python-devel python3-devel protobuf-devel"
+fi
+
 post_install() {
 	sed -n 1,29p google/protobuf/__init__.py >LICENSE
 	vlicense LICENSE
 }
 
 python3-protobuf_package() {
-	archs=noarch
 	depends="python3-setuptools python3-six"
 	short_desc="${short_desc/Python2/Python3}"
 	pkg_install() {