diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 37d4319f9..281c532d6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 .pytype
 __pycache__
 anki/buildhash.py
-anki/bridge_pb2.py
+anki/bridge_pb2.*
 aqt/forms
 locale
 rs/ankirs/src/proto.rs
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 79d4aab0d..9bdbd6bfa 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ BUILDDEPS := .build/ui .build/js .build/rs .build/py-proto
 	@touch $@
 
 .build/py-proto: $(RUNREQS) $(PROTODEPS)
-	protoc --proto_path=proto --python_out=anki proto/bridge.proto
+	protoc --proto_path=proto --python_out=anki --mypy_out=anki proto/bridge.proto
 	@touch $@
 
 .PHONY: build clean
diff --git a/anki/rsbridge.py b/anki/rsbridge.py
index 9e294c4f8..58dc753ec 100644
--- a/anki/rsbridge.py
+++ b/anki/rsbridge.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# pylint: skip-file
+
 from typing import Dict, List
 
 import _ankirs  # pytype: disable=import-error
@@ -66,4 +68,5 @@ class RSBridge:
             )
         )
         output = self._run_command(input).template_requirements
-        return proto_template_reqs_to_legacy(output.requirements)
+        reqs: List[pb.TemplateRequirement] = output.requirements  # type: ignore
+        return proto_template_reqs_to_legacy(reqs)
diff --git a/requirements.check b/requirements.check
index aee07e685..ebe707bba 100644
--- a/requirements.check
+++ b/requirements.check
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ git+https://github.com/dae/isort#egg=isort
 # fixme: when pylint supports isort 5.0, switch to pypy
 git+https://github.com/dae/pylint#egg=pylint
 black
+mypy_protobuf
\ No newline at end of file