diff --git a/meta-oe/recipes-devtools/protobuf/protobuf_2.6.1.bb b/meta-oe/recipes-devtools/protobuf/protobuf_2.6.1.bb
index 2977c59c4b..7b8f62986a 100644
--- a/meta-oe/recipes-devtools/protobuf/protobuf_2.6.1.bb
+++ b/meta-oe/recipes-devtools/protobuf/protobuf_2.6.1.bb
@@ -28,4 +28,6 @@ S = "${WORKDIR}/git"
 
 FILES_${PN}-compiler = "${bindir} ${libdir}/libprotoc${SOLIBS}"
 
+MIPS_INSTRUCTION_SET = "mips"
+
 BBCLASSEXTEND = "native nativesdk"