diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index 954c7c0018..e1567ae8fe 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@
                     <skip>false</skip>
                 </configuration>
             </plugin>
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/proto/feast b/core/src/main/proto/feast
deleted file mode 120000
index d520da9126..0000000000
--- a/core/src/main/proto/feast
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/feast
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/proto/third_party b/core/src/main/proto/third_party
deleted file mode 120000
index 363d20598e..0000000000
--- a/core/src/main/proto/third_party
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/third_party
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/datatypes/java/README.md b/datatypes/java/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f93bd99aa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datatypes/java/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+Feast Data Types for Java
+=========================
+
+This module produces Java class files for Feast's data type and gRPC service
+definitions, from Protobuf IDL. These are used across Feast components for wire
+interchange, contracts, etc.
+
+End users of Feast will be best served by our Java SDK which adds higher-level
+conveniences, but the data types are published independently for custom needs,
+without any additional dependencies the SDK may add.
+
+Dependency Coordinates
+----------------------
+
+```xml
+<dependency>
+  <groupId>dev.feast</groupId>
+  <artifactId>datatypes-java</artifactId>
+  <version>0.4.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+</dependency>
+```
+
+Using the `.proto` Definitions
+------------------------------
+
+The `.proto` definitions are packaged as resources within the Maven artifact,
+which may be useful to `include` them in dependent Protobuf definitions in a
+downstream project, or for other JVM languages to consume from their builds to
+generate more idiomatic bindings.
+
+Google's Gradle plugin, for instance, [can use protos in dependencies][Gradle]
+either for `include` or to compile with a different `protoc` plugin than Java.
+
+[sbt-protoc] offers similar functionality for sbt/Scala.
+
+[Gradle]: https://github.com/google/protobuf-gradle-plugin#protos-in-dependencies
+[sbt-protoc]: https://github.com/thesamet/sbt-protoc
+
+Publishing
+----------
+
+TODO: this module should be published to Maven Central upon Feast releases—this
+needs to be set up in POM configuration and release automation.
diff --git a/datatypes/java/pom.xml b/datatypes/java/pom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6dfa8e345
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datatypes/java/pom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright 2019 The Feast Authors
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  ~
+  -->
+<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
+  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+  xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
+    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
+
+    <name>Feast Data Types for Java</name>
+    <description>
+        Data types and service contracts used throughout Feast components and
+        their interchanges. These are generated from Protocol Buffers and gRPC
+        definitions included in the package.
+    </description>
+    <artifactId>datatypes-java</artifactId>
+
+    <parent>
+      <groupId>dev.feast</groupId>
+      <artifactId>feast-parent</artifactId>
+      <version>${revision}</version>
+      <relativePath>../..</relativePath>
+    </parent>
+
+    <build>
+      <plugins>
+        <plugin>
+          <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
+          <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+          <configuration>
+            <checkStaleness>true</checkStaleness>
+            <protocArtifact>
+                com.google.protobuf:protoc:${protocVersion}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}
+            </protocArtifact>
+            <pluginId>grpc-java</pluginId>
+            <pluginArtifact>
+                io.grpc:protoc-gen-grpc-java:${grpcVersion}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}
+            </pluginArtifact>
+          </configuration>
+          <executions>
+            <execution>
+              <goals>
+                <goal>compile</goal>
+                <goal>compile-custom</goal>
+                <goal>test-compile</goal>
+              </goals>
+            </execution>
+          </executions>
+        </plugin>
+      </plugins>
+    </build>
+
+    <dependencies>
+      <dependency>
+        <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
+        <artifactId>grpc-services</artifactId>
+      </dependency>
+    </dependencies>
+</project>
diff --git a/sdk/java/src/main/proto/feast b/datatypes/java/src/main/proto/feast
similarity index 100%
rename from sdk/java/src/main/proto/feast
rename to datatypes/java/src/main/proto/feast
diff --git a/datatypes/java/src/main/proto/third_party b/datatypes/java/src/main/proto/third_party
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..f015f8477d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datatypes/java/src/main/proto/third_party
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../../../protos/third_party
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/pom.xml b/ingestion/pom.xml
index 4908b54698..2e1dee6553 100644
--- a/ingestion/pom.xml
+++ b/ingestion/pom.xml
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@
 
   <build>
     <plugins>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -90,6 +86,12 @@
   </build>
 
   <dependencies>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>dev.feast</groupId>
+      <artifactId>datatypes-java</artifactId>
+      <version>${project.version}</version>
+    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.glassfish</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.el</artifactId>
diff --git a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast b/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast
deleted file mode 120000
index d520da9126..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/feast
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceAccum.proto b/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceAccum.proto
deleted file mode 100644
index cb64dd715f..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceAccum.proto
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2018 The Feast Authors
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-syntax = "proto3";
-
-import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
-import "feast/types/Field.proto";
-
-option java_package = "feast_ingestion.types";
-option java_outer_classname = "CoalesceAccumProto";
-
-// Accumlator for merging feature rows.
-message CoalesceAccum {
-  string entityKey = 1;
-  google.protobuf.Timestamp eventTimestamp = 3;
-  string entityName = 4;
-
-  map<string, feast.types.Field> features = 6;
-  // map of features to their counter values when they were last added to accumulator
-  map<string, int64> featureMarks = 7;
-  int64 counter = 8;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceKey.proto b/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceKey.proto
deleted file mode 100644
index 9730b49ec3..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/main/proto/feast_ingestion/types/CoalesceKey.proto
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2018 The Feast Authors
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-syntax = "proto3";
-
-option java_package = "feast_ingestion.types";
-option java_outer_classname = "CoalesceKeyProto";
-
-message CoalesceKey {
-  string entityName = 1;
-  string entityKey = 2;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/src/main/proto/third_party b/ingestion/src/main/proto/third_party
deleted file mode 120000
index 363d20598e..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/main/proto/third_party
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/third_party
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/src/test/proto/DriverArea.proto b/ingestion/src/test/proto/DriverArea.proto
deleted file mode 100644
index fee838b9e1..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/test/proto/DriverArea.proto
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-syntax = "proto3";
-
-package feast;
-
-option java_outer_classname = "DriverAreaProto";
-
-message DriverArea {
-  int32 driverId = 1;
-  int32 areaId = 2;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ingestion/src/test/proto/Ping.proto b/ingestion/src/test/proto/Ping.proto
deleted file mode 100644
index b1069afa5b..0000000000
--- a/ingestion/src/test/proto/Ping.proto
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-syntax = "proto3";
-
-package feast;
-import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
-
-option java_outer_classname = "PingProto";
-
-message Ping {
-  double lat = 1;
-  double lng = 2;
-  google.protobuf.Timestamp timestamp = 3;
-}
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 05fb701ac4..939dc8507c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
     <modules>
+        <module>datatypes/java</module>
         <module>ingestion</module>
         <module>core</module>
         <module>serving</module>
@@ -542,25 +543,6 @@
                     <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
                     <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                     <version>0.6.1</version>
-                    <configuration>
-                        <checkStaleness>true</checkStaleness>
-                        <protocArtifact>
-                            com.google.protobuf:protoc:${protocVersion}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}
-                        </protocArtifact>
-                        <pluginId>grpc-java</pluginId>
-                        <pluginArtifact>
-                            io.grpc:protoc-gen-grpc-java:${grpcVersion}:exe:${os.detected.classifier}
-                        </pluginArtifact>
-                    </configuration>
-                    <executions>
-                        <execution>
-                            <goals>
-                                <goal>compile</goal>
-                                <goal>compile-custom</goal>
-                                <goal>test-compile</goal>
-                            </goals>
-                        </execution>
-                    </executions>
                 </plugin>
             </plugins>
         </pluginManagement>
diff --git a/sdk/java/pom.xml b/sdk/java/pom.xml
index 2970dae3ee..e8a82a485f 100644
--- a/sdk/java/pom.xml
+++ b/sdk/java/pom.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>dev.feast</groupId>
+      <artifactId>datatypes-java</artifactId>
+      <version>${project.version}</version>
+    </dependency>
+
     <!-- GRPC and Protobuf -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
@@ -79,10 +85,6 @@
 
   <build>
     <plugins>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-      </plugin>
       <!-- Javadoc -->
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
diff --git a/serving/pom.xml b/serving/pom.xml
index dc3391df62..c15881030e 100644
--- a/serving/pom.xml
+++ b/serving/pom.xml
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@
           <skip>false</skip>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>protobuf-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -74,6 +70,12 @@
   </build>
 
   <dependencies>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>dev.feast</groupId>
+      <artifactId>datatypes-java</artifactId>
+      <version>${project.version}</version>
+    </dependency>
+
     <!-- TODO: SLF4J is being used via Lombok, but also jog4j - pick one -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
diff --git a/serving/src/main/proto/feast b/serving/src/main/proto/feast
deleted file mode 120000
index d520da9126..0000000000
--- a/serving/src/main/proto/feast
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/feast
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/serving/src/main/proto/third_party b/serving/src/main/proto/third_party
deleted file mode 120000
index 363d20598e..0000000000
--- a/serving/src/main/proto/third_party
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../../../../protos/third_party
\ No newline at end of file