diff --git a/examples/rust-simple/Cargo.toml b/examples/rust-simple/Cargo.toml
index 375051ab13..a4d9e18255 100644
--- a/examples/rust-simple/Cargo.toml
+++ b/examples/rust-simple/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "rust-simple"
 version = "0.1.0"
-edition = "2018"
+edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
 agones = { path = "../../sdks/rust" }
diff --git a/examples/rust-simple/Dockerfile b/examples/rust-simple/Dockerfile
index 0b08cc2e09..d798eacca3 100644
--- a/examples/rust-simple/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/rust-simple/Dockerfile
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-FROM rust:1.53.0 as builder
+FROM rust:1.71.0 as builder
 RUN useradd -m build
+RUN apt update && apt install -y protobuf-compiler
 
 # SDK
 COPY sdk /home/builder/agones/sdks/rust
diff --git a/examples/rust-simple/Makefile b/examples/rust-simple/Makefile
index ea49b5afcc..0a3deb23bd 100644
--- a/examples/rust-simple/Makefile
+++ b/examples/rust-simple/Makefile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ REPOSITORY ?= us-docker.pkg.dev/agones-images/examples
 
 mkfile_path := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 project_path := $(dir $(mkfile_path))
-server_tag = $(REPOSITORY)/rust-simple-server:0.11
+server_tag = $(REPOSITORY)/rust-simple-server:0.12
 
 #   _____                    _
 #  |_   _|_ _ _ __ __ _  ___| |_ ___
diff --git a/sdks/rust/Cargo.toml b/sdks/rust/Cargo.toml
index 1aafd67317..dc6d8b1da9 100644
--- a/sdks/rust/Cargo.toml
+++ b/sdks/rust/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "agones"
 version = "0.2.1"
-edition = "2018"
+edition = "2021"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 repository = "https://github.com/googleforgames/agones"
 documentation = "https://docs.rs/agones"
@@ -24,21 +24,21 @@ homepage = "https://agones.dev/site/"
 [dependencies]
 async-stream = "0.3"
 http = "0.2"
-prost = "0.8"
-prost-types = "0.8"
+prost = "0.11.9"
+prost-types = "0.11.9"
 thiserror = "1.0"
 
 [dependencies.tokio]
-version = "1.0"
+version = "1.6"
 default-features = false
 features = ["sync", "time"]
 
 [dependencies.tonic]
-version = "0.5"
+version = "0.9.2"
 default-features = false
 features = ["codegen", "transport", "prost"]
 
 [build-dependencies.tonic-build]
-version = "0.5"
+version = "0.9.2"
 default-features = false
 features = ["prost", "transport"]
diff --git a/sdks/rust/src/sdk.rs b/sdks/rust/src/sdk.rs
index b194f672f3..37cf546588 100644
--- a/sdks/rust/src/sdk.rs
+++ b/sdks/rust/src/sdk.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ impl Sdk {
             .keep_alive_timeout(keep_alive.unwrap_or_else(|| Duration::from_secs(30)));
 
         // will only attempt to connect on first invocation, so won't exit straight away.
-        let channel = builder.connect_lazy()?;
+        let channel = builder.connect_lazy();
         let mut client = SdkClient::new(channel.clone());
         let alpha = Alpha::new(channel);
 
diff --git a/test/sdk/rust/Cargo.toml b/test/sdk/rust/Cargo.toml
index 63c1a600b1..63d795c26e 100644
--- a/test/sdk/rust/Cargo.toml
+++ b/test/sdk/rust/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@
 [package]
 name = "rust-simple"
 version = "0.2.0"
-edition = "2018"
+edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
 agones = { path = "../../../sdks/rust" }
-prost = "0.8"
-prost-types = "0.8"
 
 [dependencies.tokio]
 version = "1.6"