diff --git a/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/CMakeLists.txt
index 323f7930..86335a8e 100644
--- a/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
 qt_add_library(QtProtocCommon STATIC
+    qtprotocdefs.h
     baseprinter.cpp baseprinter.h
     descriptorprinterbase.h
     generatorbase.cpp generatorbase.h
diff --git a/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/generatorcommon.cpp b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/generatorcommon.cpp
index e5ab51fc..f7986e7d 100644
--- a/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/generatorcommon.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/generatorcommon.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "commontemplates.h"
 
+#include "qtprotocdefs.h"
+
+#ifndef HAVE_PROTOBUF_SYNC_PIPER
+#  include <google/protobuf/descriptor.pb.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <cassert>
 #include <algorithm>
 
@@ -477,41 +483,31 @@ void common::iterateNestedMessages(const Descriptor *message,
     int numNestedTypes = message->nested_type_count();
     for (int i = 0; i < numNestedTypes; ++i) {
         const Descriptor *nestedMessage = message->nested_type(i);
-        if (message->field_count() <= 0) {
+#ifdef HAVE_PROTOBUF_SYNC_PIPER
+        if (nestedMessage->map_key() == nullptr) {
+#else
+        if (!nestedMessage->options().map_entry()) {
+#endif
             callback(nestedMessage);
             continue;
         }
-        int numFields = message->field_count();
-        for (int j = 0; j < numFields; ++j) {
-            const FieldDescriptor *field = message->field(j);
-            // Probably there is more correct way to detect map in
-            // nested messages.
-            // TODO: Have idea to make maps nested classes instead of typedefs.
-            if (!field->is_map() && field->message_type() == nestedMessage) {
-                callback(nestedMessage);
-                break;
-            }
-        }
     }
 }
 
 bool common::hasNestedMessages(const Descriptor *message)
 {
     int numNestedTypes = message->nested_type_count();
-    int numFields = message->field_count();
-    if (numNestedTypes > 0 && numFields <= 0)
+    if (numNestedTypes > 0 && message->field_count() == 0)
         return true;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < numNestedTypes; ++i) {
         const Descriptor *nestedMessage = message->nested_type(i);
-        for (int j = 0; j < numFields; ++j) {
-            const FieldDescriptor *field = message->field(j);
-            // Probably there is more correct way to detect map in
-            // nested messages.
-            // TODO: Have idea to make maps nested classes instead of typedefs.
-            if (!field->is_map() && field->message_type() == nestedMessage)
-                return true;
-        }
+#ifdef HAVE_PROTOBUF_SYNC_PIPER
+        if (nestedMessage->map_key() == nullptr)
+#else
+        if (!nestedMessage->options().map_entry())
+#endif
+            return true;
     }
 
     return false;
diff --git a/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/qtprotocdefs.h b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/qtprotocdefs.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c80b3776
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/qtprotoccommon/qtprotocdefs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2023 The Qt Company Ltd.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Qt-Commercial OR GPL-3.0-only WITH Qt-GPL-exception-1.0
+
+#ifndef QTPROTOCDEFS_H
+#define QTPROTOCDEFS_H
+
+#include <google/protobuf/port_def.inc>
+#if PROTOBUF_VERSION >= 3012000
+// Idicates the major libprotoc API update that happened in version 3.12
+#  define HAVE_PROTOBUF_SYNC_PIPER
+#endif
+#include <google/protobuf/port_undef.inc>
+
+#endif // QTPROTOCDEFS_H
diff --git a/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/proto/nestedmessages.proto b/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/proto/nestedmessages.proto
index 1294f81e..9c3d24bb 100644
--- a/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/proto/nestedmessages.proto
+++ b/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/proto/nestedmessages.proto
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ message NestedFieldMessage {
     message NestedMessage {
         sint32 testFieldInt = 1;
     }
+    message UnusedNestedMessage {
+        sint32 testFieldInt = 1;
+    }
     NestedMessage nested = 2;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/tst_protobuf_nestedtypes.cpp b/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/tst_protobuf_nestedtypes.cpp
index 8d940a0d..55ee4240 100644
--- a/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/tst_protobuf_nestedtypes.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/protobuf/nested/tst_protobuf_nestedtypes.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ private slots:
     void NeighborTest();
     void NestedNoFieldsTest();
     void NestedCyclingTest();
+    void UnusedNestedMessageTest();
 private:
     std::unique_ptr<QProtobufSerializer> m_serializer;
 };
@@ -254,5 +255,12 @@ void QtProtobufNestedTest::NestedCyclingTest()
     test2.setTestField(test);
 }
 
+void QtProtobufNestedTest::UnusedNestedMessageTest()
+{
+    qProtobufAssertMessagePropertyRegistered<NestedFieldMessage::UnusedNestedMessage,
+                                             QtProtobuf::sint32>(1, "QtProtobuf::sint32",
+                                                                 "testFieldInt");
+}
+
 QTEST_MAIN(QtProtobufNestedTest)
 #include "tst_protobuf_nestedtypes.moc"