diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_mlir_cache.yml b/.github/workflows/build_mlir_cache.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7686c71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_mlir_cache.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Build MLIR Cache
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      llvm-commit:
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+jobs:
+  build-mlir:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Cache MLIR build
+        id: cache-mlir
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
+          key: mlir-${{ runner.os }}-${{ inputs.llvm-commit }}
+
+      - name: Install build dependencies
+        if: steps.cache-mlir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          sudo apt update
+          sudo apt install -y cmake ninja-build build-essential
+
+      - name: Clone LLVM
+        if: steps.cache-mlir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          git clone --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git onnx-mlir/llvm-project
+          cd onnx-mlir/llvm-project
+          git fetch --depth 1 origin ${{ inputs.llvm-commit }}
+          git checkout FETCH_HEAD
+
+      - name: Build MLIR
+        if: steps.cache-mlir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
+          cd onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
+          cmake -G Ninja ../llvm \
+            -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS="mlir;clang" \
+            -DLLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES="openmp" \
+            -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD="host" \
+            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+            -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
+            -DLLVM_ENABLE_RTTI=ON \
+            -DENABLE_LIBOMPTARGET=OFF \
+            -DLLVM_ENABLE_LIBEDIT=OFF
+          cmake --build .
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate_operations.yml b/.github/workflows/validate_operations.yml
index 749b13a..fd7f7d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate_operations.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate_operations.yml
@@ -2,13 +2,30 @@ name: Validate Operations
 
 env:
   LLVM_COMMIT: 0c2701fe7fa002e1befc5f86c268a7964f96d286
+  PROTOBUF_COMMIT: v34.0
 
 on:
   push:
   pull_request:
 
 jobs:
+  # Expose env vars as outputs so they can be passed to reusable workflows
+  config:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      llvm-commit: ${{ steps.set-vars.outputs.llvm-commit }}
+    steps:
+      - id: set-vars
+        run: echo "llvm-commit=$LLVM_COMMIT" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+  build-mlir-cache:
+    needs: config
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build_mlir_cache.yml
+    with:
+      llvm-commit: ${{ needs.config.outputs.llvm-commit }}
+
   validate:
+    needs: build-mlir-cache
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
@@ -20,7 +37,32 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install system dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt update
-          sudo apt install -y cmake ninja-build build-essential protobuf-compiler
+          sudo apt install -y cmake ninja-build build-essential
+
+      - name: Cache protobuf build
+        id: cache-protobuf
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /usr/local/lib/libproto*
+            /usr/local/include/google/protobuf
+          key: protobuf-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.PROTOBUF_COMMIT }}
+
+      - name: Install protobuf
+        if: steps.cache-protobuf.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          git clone --depth 1 --branch ${{ env.PROTOBUF_COMMIT }} https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf
+          cd protobuf
+          mkdir build
+          cd build
+          cmake .. -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+          ninja
+          sudo ninja install
+          cd ../..
+          rm -rf protobuf
+
+      - name: Register installed libraries
+        run: sudo ldconfig
 
       - name: Install Rust toolchain
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
@@ -33,33 +75,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Python dependencies
         run: pip install numpy onnx colorama
 
-      - name: Clone LLVM
-        run: |
-          git clone -n https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git onnx-mlir/llvm-project
-          cd onnx-mlir/llvm-project && git checkout ${{ env.LLVM_COMMIT }}
-
-      - name: Cache MLIR build
-        id: cache-mlir
-        uses: actions/cache@v4
+      - name: Restore MLIR cache
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
           path: onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
           key: mlir-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.LLVM_COMMIT }}
-
-      - name: Build MLIR
-        if: steps.cache-mlir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
-          cd onnx-mlir/llvm-project/build
-          cmake -G Ninja ../llvm \
-            -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS="mlir;clang" \
-            -DLLVM_ENABLE_RUNTIMES="openmp" \
-            -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD="host" \
-            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-            -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
-            -DLLVM_ENABLE_RTTI=ON \
-            -DENABLE_LIBOMPTARGET=OFF \
-            -DLLVM_ENABLE_LIBEDIT=OFF
-          cmake --build .
+          fail-on-cache-miss: true
 
       - name: Build Raptor
         run: |
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 86098e0..e3a833a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 Use the following commands to install protobuf:
 ```
-git clone https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf
+git clone --depth 1 --branch v34.0 https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf
 cd protobuf
 mkdir build
 cd build