diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index cbff6a6..18cff07 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	sortmap = make(map[string]string)
 	sortmap["package"] = packageName
+	sortmap["protofile"] = argv.Proto
 	sortmap["protobase"] = protobase
 	if argv.LoBase == "" {
 		// if not set, assumed to be protobase
@@ -89,15 +90,21 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	// try to make foo.pb.go with protoc if it's not here
 	sortmap["protoc"] = protobase + ".pb.go"
 	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
 		if err := protocBuild(sortmap); err != nil {
 			log.Info("protoc build error:", err)
 			os.Exit(-1)
 		}
-		os.Exit(0)
 	}
-	os.Exit(0)
+
+	// if foo.pb.go still doesn't exist, protoc failed
+	// exit here
+	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
+		log.Info("protoc build error.", sortmap["protoc"], "failed to be created with protoc and proto-gen-go")
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
 
 	// add mutex
 	if err := addMutex(sortmap); err == nil {
diff --git a/protoc.go b/protoc.go
index b67effa..acd6ad7 100644
--- a/protoc.go
+++ b/protoc.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ import (
 // 		forgeConfig.proto
 
 func protocBuild(names map[string]string) error {
+	// read in the .proto file
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(names["protofile"])
+	if err != nil {
+		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// have to figure out how to run protoc so initialize forge
 	forge = forgepb.Init()
 	// forge.ConfigPrintTable()
@@ -31,47 +39,61 @@ func protocBuild(names map[string]string) error {
 	log.Info("")
 	if shell.Exists(names["protoc"]) {
 		log.Info("protoc file already created", names["protoc"])
-		return nil
+		// return nil
 	}
 	log.Info("make protoc file:", names["protoc"])
 	log.Info("go src", forge.GetGoSrc())
 	pwd, _ := os.Getwd()
 	log.Info("go.Getwd()", pwd)
-	if ! strings.HasPrefix(pwd, forge.GetGoSrc()) {
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(pwd, forge.GetGoSrc()) {
 		return errors.New("paths don't match")
 	}
 	gopath := strings.TrimPrefix(pwd, forge.GetGoSrc())
+	gopath = strings.Trim(gopath, "/")
 	log.Info("gopath", gopath)
-	return errors.New("make protoc here")
-}
-
-/*
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(fullname)
-	if err != nil {
-		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
-		return err
-	}
-
-	w, _ := os.OpenFile(names["protobase"]+".pb.go", os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
-
-	var found bool
+	cmd := []string{"protoc", "--go_out=."}
+	cmd = append(cmd, "--proto_path="+gopath)
+	cmd = append(cmd, "--go_opt=M"+names["protofile"]+"="+gopath)
 
+	// look for included proto files
 	lines := strings.Split(string(data), "\n")
 	for _, line := range lines {
 		// log.Info("line:", line)
-		start := "type " + names["Bases"] + " struct {"
-		if strings.HasSuffix(line, start) {
-			found = true
-			log.Info("FOUND line:", line)
-			fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
-			fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tsync.RWMutex // auto-added by go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb")
-			fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
-		} else {
-			fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "import ") {
+			parts := strings.Split(line, "\"")
+			protofile := parts[1]
+			if shell.Exists(protofile) {
+				log.Info("adding import", protofile)
+				cmd = append(cmd, "--go_opt=M"+protofile+"="+gopath)
+			} else {
+				basepath, pname := filepath.Split(protofile)
+				if basepath == "" {
+					log.Warn("import line:", line, "missing proto file:", pname)
+					log.Warn("protoc will probably fail here")
+				} else {
+					log.Warn("need to check basepath here", basepath, pname)
+				}
+			}
 		}
+		/*
+			start := "type " + names["Bases"] + " struct {"
+			if strings.HasSuffix(line, start) {
+				found = true
+				log.Info("FOUND line:", line)
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tsync.RWMutex // auto-added by go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb")
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, "")
+			} else {
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, line)
+			}
+		*/
 	}
-	// os.Exit(-1)
-	if found {
-		return nil
+
+	cmd = append(cmd, names["protofile"])
+	log.Info("\tpwd", forge.GetGoSrc())
+	for i, s := range cmd {
+		log.Info("\t", i, s)
 	}
-*/
+	shell.PathRun(forge.GetGoSrc(), cmd)
+	return nil
+}