diff --git a/hack/update-codegen.sh b/hack/update-codegen.sh
index 0447574e189..3207bbb4391 100755
--- a/hack/update-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/update-codegen.sh
@@ -778,10 +778,33 @@ function codegen::subprojects() {
 }
 
 function codegen::protobindings() {
+    # Each element of this array is a directory containing subdirectories which
+    # eventually contain a file named "api.proto".
+    local apis=(
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime"
+
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/podresources"
+
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/deviceplugin"
+
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/kms/apis"
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/kmsv2"
+
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/dra"
+
+        "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/pluginregistration"
+        "pkg/kubelet/pluginmanager/pluginwatcher/example_plugin_apis"
+    )
+
+    for api in "${apis[@]}"; do
+        git ls-files -z -cmo --exclude-standard ":(glob)${api}"/'**/api.pb.go' \
+            | xargs -0 rm -f
+    done
+
     # NOTE: All output from this script needs to be copied back to the calling
     # source tree.  This is managed in kube::build::copy_output in build/common.sh.
     # If the output set is changed update that function.
-    build/run.sh hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh
+    build/run.sh hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh "${apis[@]}"
 }
 
 #
diff --git a/hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh b/hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh
index 62d2ed9b474..0076d249bc7 100755
--- a/hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh
+++ b/hack/update-generated-proto-bindings-dockerized.sh
@@ -24,25 +24,12 @@ KUBE_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../" && pwd -P)"
 
 source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/protoc.sh"
 
-# Each element of this array is a directory containing subdirectories which
-# eventually contain a file named "api.proto".
-APIS=(
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/cri-api/pkg/apis/runtime"
+if [ "$#" = 0 ]; then
+    echo "usage: $0 <api_dir>..."
+    exit 1
+fi
 
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/podresources"
-
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/deviceplugin"
-
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/kms/apis"
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/kmsv2"
-
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/dra"
-
-    "staging/src/k8s.io/kubelet/pkg/apis/pluginregistration"
-    "pkg/kubelet/pluginmanager/pluginwatcher/example_plugin_apis"
-)
-
-for api in "${APIS[@]}"; do
+for api; do
     # This can't use `git ls-files` because it runs in a container without the
     # .git dir synced.
     find "${api}" -type f -name "api.proto" \