diff --git a/xls/tools/BUILD b/xls/tools/BUILD
index 3a14359adc..d810fe001f 100644
--- a/xls/tools/BUILD
+++ b/xls/tools/BUILD
@@ -984,7 +984,6 @@ cc_library(
     deps = [
         ":scheduling_options_flags_cc_proto",
         "//xls/common/file:filesystem",
-        "//xls/common/status:ret_check",
         "//xls/common/status:status_macros",
         "//xls/delay_model:delay_estimator",
         "//xls/delay_model:delay_estimators",
@@ -996,7 +995,6 @@ cc_library(
         "@com_google_absl//absl/status:statusor",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/strings",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/strings:str_format",
-        "@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -1025,13 +1023,11 @@ cc_library(
     deps = [
         ":codegen_flags_cc_proto",
         "//xls/common/file:filesystem",
-        "//xls/common/status:ret_check",
         "//xls/common/status:status_macros",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/flags:flag",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/status",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/status:statusor",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/strings:str_format",
-        "@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/xls/tools/codegen_flags.cc b/xls/tools/codegen_flags.cc
index 228a510fc4..c13c94b889 100644
--- a/xls/tools/codegen_flags.cc
+++ b/xls/tools/codegen_flags.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@
 #include "absl/status/status.h"
 #include "absl/status/statusor.h"
 #include "absl/strings/str_format.h"
-#include "google/protobuf/text_format.h"
 #include "xls/common/file/filesystem.h"
-#include "xls/common/status/ret_check.h"
 #include "xls/common/status/status_macros.h"
 #include "xls/tools/codegen_flags.pb.h"
 
@@ -276,10 +274,8 @@ absl::StatusOr<CodegenFlagsProto> GetCodegenFlags() {
         absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_codegen_options_proto), &proto));
   }
   if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_codegen_options_used_textproto_file)) {
-    std::string out;
-    XLS_RET_CHECK(google::protobuf::TextFormat::PrintToString(proto, &out));
-    XLS_RETURN_IF_ERROR(SetFileContents(
-        *absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_codegen_options_used_textproto_file), out));
+    XLS_RETURN_IF_ERROR(SetTextProtoFile(
+        *absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_codegen_options_used_textproto_file), proto));
   }
   return proto;
 }
diff --git a/xls/tools/scheduling_options_flags.cc b/xls/tools/scheduling_options_flags.cc
index 4f87aea93f..d9b70cce35 100644
--- a/xls/tools/scheduling_options_flags.cc
+++ b/xls/tools/scheduling_options_flags.cc
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@
 #include "absl/strings/numbers.h"
 #include "absl/strings/str_format.h"
 #include "absl/strings/str_split.h"
-#include "google/protobuf/text_format.h"
 #include "xls/common/file/filesystem.h"
-#include "xls/common/status/ret_check.h"
 #include "xls/common/status/status_macros.h"
 #include "xls/delay_model/delay_estimator.h"
 #include "xls/delay_model/delay_estimators.h"
@@ -257,10 +255,8 @@ absl::StatusOr<SchedulingOptionsFlagsProto> GetSchedulingOptionsFlagsProto() {
         absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_scheduling_options_proto), &proto));
   }
   if (absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_scheduling_options_used_textproto_file)) {
-    std::string out;
-    XLS_RET_CHECK(google::protobuf::TextFormat::PrintToString(proto, &out));
-    XLS_RETURN_IF_ERROR(SetFileContents(
-        *absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_scheduling_options_used_textproto_file), out));
+    XLS_RETURN_IF_ERROR(SetTextProtoFile(
+        *absl::GetFlag(FLAGS_scheduling_options_used_textproto_file), proto));
   }
   return proto;
 }