diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 07c350c4..609b255f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ Other dedicated linters that are built-in are:
 | [biomejs][biomejs]                     | `biomejs`              |
 | [blocklint][blocklint]                 | `blocklint`            |
 | [buf_lint][buf_lint]                   | `buf_lint`             |
-| [buf_api_linter][buf_api_linter]                   | `buf_api_linter`             |
+| [api_linter][api_linter]               | `api_linter`             |
+| [api_linter_buf][api_linter_buf]       | `api_linter_buf`             |
 | [buildifier][buildifier]               | `buildifier`           |
 | [cfn-lint][cfn-lint]                   | `cfn_lint`             |
 | [cfn_nag][cfn_nag]                     | `cfn_nag`              |
@@ -526,7 +527,8 @@ busted tests/
 [verilator]: https://verilator.org/guide/latest/
 [actionlint]: https://github.com/rhysd/actionlint
 [buf_lint]: https://github.com/bufbuild/buf
-[buf_api_linter]: https://github.com/googleapis/api-linter
+[api_linter]: https://github.com/googleapis/api-linter
+[api_linter_buf]: https://github.com/googleapis/api-linter
 [erb-lint]: https://github.com/shopify/erb-lint
 [tfsec]: https://github.com/aquasecurity/tfsec
 [tlint]: https://github.com/tighten/tlint
@@ -581,4 +583,4 @@ busted tests/
 [awk]: https://www.gnu.org/software/gawk/
 [yq]: https://mikefarah.gitbook.io/yq
 [svlint]: https://github.com/dalance/svlint
-[slang]: https://github.com/MikePopoloski/slang
\ No newline at end of file
+[slang]: https://github.com/MikePopoloski/slang
diff --git a/lua/lint/linters/api_linter.lua b/lua/lint/linters/api_linter.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76b835ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/lint/linters/api_linter.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+-- NOTE: see require("lint.linters.api_linter_buf") for a real-world implementation of api-linter, leveraging the buf CLI.
+
+return {
+  cmd = "api-linter",
+  stdin = false,
+  append_fname = true,
+  args = {
+    "--output-format=json",
+    "--disable-rule=core::0191::java-multiple-files",
+    "--disable-rule=core::0191::java-package",
+    "--disable-rule=core::0191::java-outer-classname",
+  },
+  stream = "stdout",
+  ignore_exitcode = true,
+  env = nil,
+  parser = function(output)
+    if output == "" then
+      return {}
+    end
+    local json_output = vim.json.decode(output)
+    local diagnostics = {}
+    if json_output == nil then
+      return diagnostics
+    end
+    for _, item in ipairs(json_output) do
+      for _, problem in ipairs(item.problems) do
+        table.insert(diagnostics, {
+          message = problem.message,
+          file = item.file,
+          code = problem.rule_id .. " " .. problem.rule_doc_uri,
+          severity = vim.diagnostic.severity.WARN,
+          lnum = problem.location.start_position.line_number - 1,
+          col = problem.location.start_position.column_number - 1,
+          end_lnum = problem.location.end_position.line_number - 1,
+          end_col = problem.location.end_position.column_number - 1,
+        })
+      end
+    end
+    return diagnostics
+  end,
+}
diff --git a/lua/lint/linters/api_linter_buf.lua b/lua/lint/linters/api_linter_buf.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..971fd949
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/lint/linters/api_linter_buf.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+--- Extension of api-linter leveraging the buf CLI.
+---
+--- This is a real-world implementation of api-linter, extending the nvim-lint
+--- api_linter.lua linter with additional capabilities, so to be able to follow all
+--- proto imports. You can read more about the history of how this api_linter_buf
+--- came to be here: https://github.com/mfussenegger/nvim-lint/pull/665
+
+--- The api-linter needs a descriptor file, containing all protos in the project as
+--- well as third-party proto imports.
+--- This adaptation of the api_linter.lua, will build the descriptor file for you,
+--- using the buf CLI, as this is the most common way to go about this problem as
+--- of writing this. Please see the custom argument function `descriptor_set_in` in
+--- this file for more details on how it's done.
+---
+--- The api-linter needs to be run in the same directory as the buf.yaml. Therefore,
+--- the 'cwd' must be set. Unfortunately, you cannot provide the cwd as a function
+--- to a linter, which means you will either have to statically set the path or have
+--- a function run (which will likely run on nvim-lint load in your Neovim setup,
+--- which is undesirable). To work around this, you can instead load api_linter_buf
+--- with an autocmd, in which you provide a function for the cwd.
+--- I have bundled an example of this in the api_linter_buf `register_autocmd`
+--- function, which you can use to register the autocmd:
+---   `require("lint.linters.api_linter_buf").register_autocmd()`
+--- Please note that this replaces other ways to load this api_linter_buf linter.
+
+local api_linter = require("lint.linters.api_linter")
+
+-- --------------------- api_linter_buf helper functions ---------------------
+
+--- Cached filepath to buf.yaml, so to avoid searching multiple times for it.
+local cached_buf_config_filepath = nil
+
+--- Find a file by searching upwards through parent directories.
+local function find_file_upwards(names, start_path, stop_path)
+  -- Normalize paths
+  start_path = vim.fn.fnamemodify(start_path, ":p")
+  stop_path = vim.fn.fnamemodify(stop_path, ":p")
+
+  local current_dir = start_path
+  while current_dir >= stop_path do
+    for _, name in ipairs(names) do
+      local file_path = current_dir .. "/" .. name
+      if vim.fn.filereadable(file_path) == 1 then
+        return file_path
+      end
+    end
+    -- Go up one directory
+    local parent_dir = vim.fn.fnamemodify(current_dir, ":h")
+    if parent_dir == current_dir then
+      break
+    end
+    current_dir = parent_dir
+  end
+  return nil
+end
+
+--- Autocmd which will load the linter, due to no cwd-as-function support.
+--- HACK: more info: https://github.com/mfussenegger/nvim-lint/pull/674
+local function autocmd(cwd)
+  --- Find buf.yaml.
+  local function get_buf_config_filepath()
+    if cached_buf_config_filepath ~= nil then
+      return cached_buf_config_filepath
+    end
+    local buffer_parent_dir = vim.fn.expand("%:p:h")
+    local buf_config_filepath = find_file_upwards({ "buf.yaml", "buf.yml" }, buffer_parent_dir, vim.fn.expand("~"))
+    if not buf_config_filepath then
+      error("Buf config file not found")
+    end
+    cached_buf_config_filepath = buf_config_filepath
+    vim.notify("buf config file found: " .. cached_buf_config_filepath)
+    return cached_buf_config_filepath
+  end
+
+  local function buf_lint_cwd()
+    return vim.fn.fnamemodify(get_buf_config_filepath(), ":h")
+  end
+
+  if cwd == nil then
+    cwd = buf_lint_cwd
+  end
+
+  vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ "BufEnter", "BufWritePost" }, {
+    pattern = { "*.proto" },
+    callback = function()
+      require("lint").try_lint("api_linter", {
+        cwd = cwd(),
+      })
+    end,
+  })
+end
+
+-- --------------------- Descriptor file helper functions ---------------------
+
+local descriptor_filepath = os.tmpname()
+
+--- Function to set the `--descriptor-set-in` argument.
+--- This requires the buf CLI, which will first build the descriptor file.
+local function descriptor_set_in()
+  if vim.fn.executable("buf") == 0 then
+    error("buf CLI not found")
+  end
+
+  local buffer_parent_dir = vim.fn.expand("%:p:h")
+  local buf_config_filepath = find_file_upwards({ "buf.yaml", "buf.yml" }, buffer_parent_dir, vim.fn.expand("~"))
+    or find_file_upwards("buf.yml", buffer_parent_dir)
+
+  if not buf_config_filepath then
+    error("Buf config file not found")
+  end
+
+  -- build the descriptor file.
+  local buf_config_folderpath = vim.fn.fnamemodify(buf_config_filepath, ":h")
+  local buf_cmd = string.format(
+    "cd %s && buf build -o %s",
+    vim.fn.shellescape(buf_config_folderpath),
+    vim.fn.shellescape(descriptor_filepath)
+  )
+  local output = vim.fn.system(buf_cmd)
+  local exit_code = vim.v.shell_error
+
+  if exit_code ~= 0 then
+    error("Command failed: " .. buf_cmd .. "\n" .. output)
+  end
+
+  -- return the argument to be passed to the linter.
+  return "--descriptor-set-in=" .. descriptor_filepath
+end
+
+local cleanup_descriptor = function()
+  os.remove(descriptor_filepath)
+end
+
+-- --------------------- api_linter_buf configuration ---------------------
+
+return {
+  cmd = api_linter.cmd,
+  stdin = api_linter.stdin,
+  append_fname = api_linter.append_fname,
+  args = table.insert(api_linter.args, descriptor_set_in),
+  stream = api_linter.stream,
+  ignore_exitcode = api_linter.ignore_exitcode,
+  env = api_linter.env,
+  parser = function(output)
+    local diagnostics = api_linter.parser(output)
+    cleanup_descriptor()
+    return diagnostics
+  end,
+
+  register_autocmd = autocmd,
+}