diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
index 7d19f1d9829..b27b558047d 100644
--- a/.github/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ go.sum @grafana/backend-platform
 # Backend code docs
 /contribute/style-guides/backend.md @grafana/backend-platform
 /contribute/architecture/backend @grafana/backend-platform
+/contribute/engineering/backend @grafana/backend-platform
 
 /e2e @grafana/grafana-frontend-platform
 /packages @grafana/grafana-frontend-platform
diff --git a/contribute/engineering/backend/upgrading-dependencies.md b/contribute/engineering/backend/upgrading-dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c56e293d574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contribute/engineering/backend/upgrading-dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Upgrading dependencies
+
+Notes on upgrading various backend dependencies.
+
+# Protobuf
+
+When upgrading the [protobuf](http://github.com/golang/protobuf) library in Grafana and the plugin SDK,
+you typically also want to upgrade your protobuf compiler toolchain and re-compile protobuf files:
+
+```
+cd $GRAFANA
+make protobuf
+cd $GRAFANA_PLUGIN_SDK_GO
+mage protobuf
+```
+
+After upgrading the protobuf dependency in Grafana and the plugin SDK, it might be wise to test that things still work,
+before making corresponding PRs:
+
+* Test a plugin built with upgraded SDK on upgraded Grafana
+* Test a plugin built with non-upgraded SDK on upgraded Grafana
+* Test a plugin built with upgraded SDK on non-upgraded Grafana