diff --git a/.templates/ruby/default.mk b/.templates/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/.templates/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/.templates/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/c21e/ruby/default.mk b/c21e/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/c21e/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/c21e/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/cucumber-expressions/ruby/default.mk b/cucumber-expressions/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/cucumber-expressions/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/cucumber-expressions/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/cucumber-messages/ruby/Makefile b/cucumber-messages/ruby/Makefile
index ecaf00ac14c..7bc4f1b3584 100644
--- a/cucumber-messages/ruby/Makefile
+++ b/cucumber-messages/ruby/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 include default.mk
 
+default: pkg/.installable_tested
+
 .deps: lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb
 
 lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb: messages.proto
-	protoc -I. -I/usr/local/include --ruby_out lib/cucumber $<
+	protoc -I. --ruby_out lib/cucumber $<
+
+pkg/.installable_tested: pkg/cucumber-messages-%.gem
+	gem install pkg/cucumber-messages-*.gem
+
+pkg/cucumber-messages-%.gem: .tested
+	rake build
 
 clean:
-	rm -f lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb
+	rm -f lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb pkg/.installable_tested
diff --git a/cucumber-messages/ruby/cucumber-messages.gemspec b/cucumber-messages/ruby/cucumber-messages.gemspec
index c618226ac48..31f94d795dd 100644
--- a/cucumber-messages/ruby/cucumber-messages.gemspec
+++ b/cucumber-messages/ruby/cucumber-messages.gemspec
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.platform    = Gem::Platform::RUBY
   s.license     = "MIT"
   s.required_ruby_version = ">= 2.3"
+  s.extensions = ["ext/cucumber-messages/extconf.rb".freeze]
 
   s.metadata    = {
                     'bug_tracker_uri'   => 'https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber/issues',
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.files            = Dir[
     'README.md',
     'LICENSE',
+    'messages.proto',
     'lib/**/*'
   ]
   s.test_files       = Dir['spec/**/*']
diff --git a/cucumber-messages/ruby/default.mk b/cucumber-messages/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/cucumber-messages/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/cucumber-messages/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/cucumber-messages/ruby/ext/cucumber-messages/extconf.rb b/cucumber-messages/ruby/ext/cucumber-messages/extconf.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d6429e2fcd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cucumber-messages/ruby/ext/cucumber-messages/extconf.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+require "mkmf"
+
+find_executable('protoc')
+makefile_content = ''
+
+if File.exist?('../../lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb')
+  makefile_content = %Q(
+default:
+\t@echo "Nothing to do"
+.PHONY: clean
+
+install:
+\t@echo "Nothing to do"
+.PHONY: clean
+
+clean:
+\t@echo "Nothing to do"
+.PHONY: clean
+)
+else
+  makefile_content = %Q(
+SHELL := /usr/bin/env bash
+
+default: ../../lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb
+
+../../lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb: ../../messages.proto
+\tpushd ../.. && protoc -I. --ruby_out lib/cucumber messages.proto && popd
+
+install:
+\t@echo "Not much to do in fact"
+.PHONY: clean
+
+clean:
+\trm ../../lib/cucumber/messages_pb.rb
+.PHONY: clean
+)
+end
+
+File.open(File.join(Dir.pwd, 'Makefile'), 'w') do |file|
+  file.write makefile_content
+end
+
+$makefile_created = true
diff --git a/dots-formatter/ruby/default.mk b/dots-formatter/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/dots-formatter/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/dots-formatter/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/gherkin/ruby/default.mk b/gherkin/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/gherkin/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/gherkin/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/json-formatter/ruby/default.mk b/json-formatter/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/json-formatter/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/json-formatter/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby
diff --git a/tag-expressions/ruby/default.mk b/tag-expressions/ruby/default.mk
index cec5f2805ea..b4eccdd7ed1 100644
--- a/tag-expressions/ruby/default.mk
+++ b/tag-expressions/ruby/default.mk
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ clean: clean-ruby
 .PHONY: clean
 
 clean-ruby:
-	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem
+	rm -f .deps .linked .tested Gemfile.lock *.gem pkg/*.gem
 .PHONY: clean-ruby