diff --git a/haskell/repositories.bzl b/haskell/repositories.bzl
index dfba5e8ee..d006bcac5 100644
--- a/haskell/repositories.bzl
+++ b/haskell/repositories.bzl
@@ -121,12 +121,21 @@ def rules_haskell_dependencies():
     maybe(
         http_archive,
         name = "com_google_protobuf",
-        sha256 = "22fdaf641b31655d4b2297f9981fa5203b2866f8332d3c6333f6b0107bb320de",
-        strip_prefix = "protobuf-21.12",
+        sha256 = "4fc5ff1b2c339fb86cd3a25f0b5311478ab081e65ad258c6789359cd84d421f8",
+        strip_prefix = "protobuf-26.1",
         urls = [
-            "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/refs/tags/v21.12.tar.gz",
+            "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/refs/tags/v26.1.tar.gz",
         ],
     )
+    maybe(
+        http_archive,
+        name = "com_google_absl",
+        urls = [
+            "https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/releases/download/20240116.0/abseil-cpp-20240116.0.tar.gz",
+        ],
+        sha256 = "338420448b140f0dfd1a1ea3c3ce71b3bc172071f24f4d9a57d59b45037da440",
+        strip_prefix = "abseil-cpp-20240116.0",
+    )
 
     maybe(
         http_archive,
diff --git a/rules_haskell_tests/.bazelrc b/rules_haskell_tests/.bazelrc
index 43a3ba1dd..34a34677d 100644
--- a/rules_haskell_tests/.bazelrc
+++ b/rules_haskell_tests/.bazelrc
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import %workspace%/../.bazelrc.common
 import %workspace%/.bazelrc.bzlmod
 
+# abseil c++ (a dependency of protobuf) needs a C++14 compiler, but rules_nixpkgs cc sets `-std=c++0x`
+build:nixpkgs --host_cxxopt=-std=c++14
+
 # User Configuration
 # ------------------
 try-import %workspace%/.bazelrc.local