diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1892174..95e9736 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ cli-examples/*.iml
 java-examples/*.iml
 java-examples/build
 java-examples/.gradle
-java-examples/src/main/proto/*
+java-examples/proto/*.proto
 proto-downloader/*.iml
 proto-downloader/*.proto
 python-examples/*.iml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ python-examples/bisq/api/__pycache__
 python-examples/bisq/api/*.py
 python-examples/bisq/bots/__pycache__
 python-examples/bisq/bots/bisq_events/__pycache__
-python-examples/proto/*
+python-examples/proto/*.proto
 reference-doc-builder/*.iml
 reference-doc-builder/build
 reference-doc-builder/.gradle
diff --git a/java-examples/src/main/proto/README.md b/java-examples/src/main/proto/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ba2fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java-examples/src/main/proto/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Bisq Protobuffer Definition Files
+
+This directory holds .proto files downloaded from the Bisq source
+code [repository](https://github.com/bisq-network/bisq/tree/master/proto/src/main/proto]), and they are not versioned in
+this project's repository.
+
+
diff --git a/python-examples/proto/README.md b/python-examples/proto/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ba2fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-examples/proto/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Bisq Protobuffer Definition Files
+
+This directory holds .proto files downloaded from the Bisq source
+code [repository](https://github.com/bisq-network/bisq/tree/master/proto/src/main/proto]), and they are not versioned in
+this project's repository.
+
+