diff --git a/scripts/clean-spec-protos.sh b/scripts/clean-spec-protos.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..60724748c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/clean-spec-protos.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+find ${OUTDIR}/proto/tendermint/ -name *.proto \
+	| sed "s/$OUTDIR\/\(.*\)/\1/g" \
+	| xargs -I {} rm {}
+
+rm -rf ${OUTDIR}
diff --git a/scripts/fetch-spec-protos.sh b/scripts/fetch-spec-protos.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..98d2398c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/fetch-spec-protos.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+: ${VERS:=master}
+
+# Get shortened ref of commit
+REF=$(curl -H "Accept: application/vnd.github.v3.sha" -qL \
+  "https://api.github.com/repos/tendermint/spec/commits/${VERS}" \
+  | cut -c -7)
+
+readonly OUTDIR="tendermint-spec-${REF}"
+curl -qL "https://api.github.com/repos/tendermint/spec/tarball/${REF}" | tar -xzf - ${OUTDIR}/
+
+cp -r ${OUTDIR}/proto/tendermint/* ./proto/tendermint
+cp -r ${OUTDIR}/third_party/** ./third_party
+
+echo ${OUTDIR}
diff --git a/scripts/proto-check-breaking.sh b/scripts/proto-check-breaking.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..13e8c9462
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/proto-check-breaking.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+: ${VERS:=master}
+: ${AGAINST:='.git#branch=master'}
+
+echo "fetching proto files"
+OUTDIR=$(VERS=$VERS sh ./scripts/fetch-spec-protos.sh)
+
+buf breaking --against $AGAINST
+
+OUTDIR=$OUTDIR sh ./scripts/clear-spec-protos.sh