diff --git a/data/cmsTritonChecksumTool b/data/cmsTritonChecksumTool
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..eb13e33619c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/cmsTritonChecksumTool
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os, sys
+from collections import OrderedDict
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter
+from google.protobuf import text_format, message, descriptor
+from tritonclient import grpc
+
+def get_checksum(filename, chunksize=4096):
+    import hashlib
+    with open(filename, 'rb') as f:
+        file_hash = hashlib.md5()
+        while chunk := f.read(chunksize):
+            file_hash.update(chunk)
+    return file_hash.hexdigest()
+
+def update_config(args):
+    # update config path to be output path (in case view is called)
+    if args.copy:
+        args.config = "config.pbtxt"
+        if isinstance(args.copy,str):
+            args.config = os.path.join(args.copy, args.config)
+
+    with open(args.config,'w') as outfile:
+        text_format.PrintMessage(args.model, outfile, use_short_repeated_primitives=True)
+
+def cfg_common(args):
+    args.model = grpc.model_config_pb2.ModelConfig()
+    if hasattr(args,'config'):
+        with open(args.config,'r') as infile:
+            text_format.Parse(infile.read(), args.model)
+
+def cfg_checksum(args):
+    agents = args.model.model_repository_agents.agents
+    checksum_agent = next((agent for agent in agents if agent.name=="checksum"), None)
+    if checksum_agent is None:
+        checksum_agent = agents.add(name="checksum")
+
+    incorrect = []
+    missing = []
+
+    from glob import glob
+    config_dir = os.path.dirname(args.config)
+    for filename in glob(os.path.join(config_dir,"*/*")):
+        if os.path.islink(os.path.dirname(filename)): continue
+        checksum = get_checksum(filename)
+        # key = algorithm:[filename relative to config.pbtxt dir]
+        filename = os.path.relpath(filename, config_dir)
+        filekey = "MD5:{}".format(filename)
+        if filekey in checksum_agent.parameters and checksum!=checksum_agent.parameters[filekey]:
+            incorrect.append(filename)
+            if args.update and args.force:
+                checksum_agent.parameters[filekey] = checksum
+        elif filekey not in checksum_agent.parameters:
+            missing.append(filename)
+            if args.update:
+                checksum_agent.parameters[filekey] = checksum
+        else:
+            continue
+
+    needs_update = len(missing)>0
+    needs_force_update = len(incorrect)>0
+
+    if not args.quiet:
+        if needs_update:
+            print("\n".join(["Missing checksums:"]+missing))
+        if needs_force_update:
+                print("\n".join(["Incorrect checksums:"]+incorrect))
+
+    if needs_force_update:
+        if not (args.update and args.force):
+            extra_args = [arg for arg in ["--update","--force"] if arg not in sys.argv]
+            raise RuntimeError("\n".join([
+                "Incorrect checksum(s) found, indicating existing model file(s) has been changed.",
+                "This violates policy. To override, run the following command, and provide a justification in your PR:",
+                "{} {}".format(" ".join(sys.argv), " ".join(extra_args))
+            ]))
+        else:
+            update_config(args)
+    elif needs_update:
+        if not args.update:
+            extra_args = [arg for arg in ["--update"] if arg not in sys.argv]
+            raise RuntimeError("\n".join([
+                "Missing checksum(s) found, indicating new model file(s).",
+                "To update, run the following command:",
+                "{} {}".format(" ".join(sys.argv), " ".join(extra_args))
+            ]))
+        else:
+            update_config(args)
+
+if __name__=="__main__":
+    parser = ArgumentParser(formatter_class=ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter, description="handle model file checksums")
+    parser.add_argument("-c", "--config", type=str, default="", required=True, help="path to input config.pbtxt file")
+    parser.add_argument("--copy", metavar="dir", default=False, const=True, nargs='?', type=str,
+        help="make a copy of config.pbtxt instead of editing in place ([dir] = output path for copy; if omitted, current directory is used)"
+    )
+    parser.add_argument("--update", default=False, action="store_true", help="update missing checksums in config.pbtxt")
+    parser.add_argument("--force", default=False, action="store_true", help="force update all checksums in config.pbtxt")
+    parser.add_argument("--quiet", default=False, action="store_true", help="suppress printouts")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    cfg_common(args)
+
+    cfg_checksum(args)
diff --git a/pip/requirements.txt b/pip/requirements.txt
index 3358a89bb74..bbc0a14991b 100644
--- a/pip/requirements.txt
+++ b/pip/requirements.txt
@@ -359,6 +359,8 @@ toolz==0.7.1
 tornado==6.3.3
 tqdm==4.65.0
 traitlets==5.9.0
+# always sync version number with triton-inference-client.spec (C++ version)
+tritonclient==2.25.0
 trove-classifiers==2023.3.9
 typed-ast==1.5.4
 typing-extensions==4.5.0
diff --git a/protobuf.spec b/protobuf.spec
index 29467042de0..b0e0962a68c 100644
--- a/protobuf.spec
+++ b/protobuf.spec
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 Source: https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v%{realversion}.zip
 Requires: zlib
 BuildRequires: cmake ninja
+# improves text_format printing
+Patch0: protobuf_text_format
 
 %prep
 %setup -n %{n}-%{realversion}
diff --git a/protobuf_text_format.patch b/protobuf_text_format.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bebf7006d79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protobuf_text_format.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+diff --git a/python/google/protobuf/text_format.py b/python/google/protobuf/text_format.py
+index a6d8bcf64..24da4cac5 100644
+--- a/python/google/protobuf/text_format.py
++++ b/python/google/protobuf/text_format.py
+@@ -470,9 +470,7 @@ class _Printer(object):
+           entry_submsg = value.GetEntryClass()(key=key, value=value[key])
+           self.PrintField(field, entry_submsg)
+       elif field.label == descriptor.FieldDescriptor.LABEL_REPEATED:
+-        if (self.use_short_repeated_primitives
+-            and field.cpp_type != descriptor.FieldDescriptor.CPPTYPE_MESSAGE
+-            and field.cpp_type != descriptor.FieldDescriptor.CPPTYPE_STRING):
++        if self.use_short_repeated_primitives:
+           self._PrintShortRepeatedPrimitivesValue(field, value)
+         else:
+           for element in value:
diff --git a/python_tools.spec b/python_tools.spec
index 7d318b85046..cc08f9b338f 100644
--- a/python_tools.spec
+++ b/python_tools.spec
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ Requires: py3-subprocess32
 Requires: py3-kiwisolver
 Requires: py3-pillow
 Requires: py3-pydot
+Requires: py3-tritonclient
 
 Requires: py3-astroid
 Requires: py3-hepdata-lib
diff --git a/scram-project-build.file b/scram-project-build.file
index f3c919df7d5..38171c0b9dd 100644
--- a/scram-project-build.file
+++ b/scram-project-build.file
@@ -312,6 +312,9 @@ find external/%cmsplatf -type l | xargs ls -l
 %{?PatchReleaseSymlinkRelocate:%PatchReleaseSymlinkRelocate}
 echo "%{cmsroot}" > %{i}/config/scram_basedir
 
+# install checksum tool for local use (via scram)
+cp data/cmsTritonChecksumTool %i/bin/
+
 %post
 export SCRAM_ARCH=%cmsplatf
 cd $RPM_INSTALL_PREFIX/%pkgrel
diff --git a/triton-inference-client.spec b/triton-inference-client.spec
index 2692763c69d..97b24e9d21c 100644
--- a/triton-inference-client.spec
+++ b/triton-inference-client.spec
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# always sync version number with tritonclient in pip/requirements.txt (python version)
 ### RPM external triton-inference-client 2.25.0
 ## INCLUDE cpp-standard
 %define branch r22.08