--- a/google/cloud/bigtable/CMakeLists.txt	2018-11-09 10:56:34.029389338 -0500
+++ a/google/cloud/bigtable/CMakeLists.txt	2018-11-09 10:57:18.461259917 -0500
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
 # Configure the location of proto files, particulary the googleapis protos.
 list(APPEND PROTOBUF_IMPORT_DIRS "${PROJECT_THIRD_PARTY_DIR}/googleapis"
             "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}")
+find_path(PROTO_INCLUDE_DIR google/protobuf/descriptor.proto)
+if(PROTO_INCLUDE_DIR)
+    list(INSERT PROTOBUF_IMPORT_DIRS 0 "${PROTO_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+endif()
 
 # Include the functions to compile proto files.
 include(CompileProtos)