diff --git a/lib/codecs/src/decoding/format/protobuf.rs b/lib/codecs/src/decoding/format/protobuf.rs
index de10df572bcb49..2eb64cd9f05439 100644
--- a/lib/codecs/src/decoding/format/protobuf.rs
+++ b/lib/codecs/src/decoding/format/protobuf.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct ProtobufDeserializerConfig {
 impl ProtobufDeserializerConfig {
     /// Build the `ProtobufDeserializer` from this configuration.
     pub fn build(&self) -> ProtobufDeserializer {
-        Into::<ProtobufDeserializer>::into(self)
+        ProtobufDeserializer::try_from(self).unwrap()
     }
 
     /// Return the type of event build by this deserializer.
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl ProtobufDeserializer {
         Self { message_descriptor }
     }
 
-    pub fn get_message_descriptor(
+    fn get_message_descriptor(
         desc_file: String,
         message_type: String,
     ) -> vector_common::Result<MessageDescriptor> {
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ impl ProtobufDeserializer {
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to open protobuf desc file '{desc_file}': {e}"))?;
         let pool = DescriptorPool::decode(b.as_slice())
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to parse protobuf desc file '{desc_file}': {e}"))?;
-        Ok(pool.get_message_by_name(&message_type).expect(&format!(
-            "The message type '{message_type}' could not be found in '{desc_file}'"
-        )))
+        Ok(pool.get_message_by_name(&message_type).unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            panic!("The message type '{message_type}' could not be found in '{desc_file}'")
+        }))
     }
 }
 
@@ -129,14 +129,14 @@ impl Deserializer for ProtobufDeserializer {
     }
 }
 
-impl From<&ProtobufDeserializerConfig> for ProtobufDeserializer {
-    fn from(config: &ProtobufDeserializerConfig) -> Self {
+impl TryFrom<&ProtobufDeserializerConfig> for ProtobufDeserializer {
+    type Error = vector_common::Error;
+    fn try_from(config: &ProtobufDeserializerConfig) -> vector_common::Result<Self> {
         let message_descriptor = ProtobufDeserializer::get_message_descriptor(
             config.desc_file.clone(),
             config.message_type.clone(),
-        )
-        .unwrap();
-        Self::new(message_descriptor)
+        )?;
+        Ok(Self::new(message_descriptor))
     }
 }
 
@@ -145,29 +145,31 @@ fn to_vrl(
     field_descriptor: Option<&prost_reflect::FieldDescriptor>,
 ) -> vector_common::Result<vrl::value::Value> {
     let vrl_value = match prost_reflect_value {
-        prost_reflect::Value::Bool(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
-        prost_reflect::Value::I32(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
-        prost_reflect::Value::I64(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
-        prost_reflect::Value::U32(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
-        prost_reflect::Value::U64(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
+        prost_reflect::Value::Bool(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(*v),
+        prost_reflect::Value::I32(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(*v),
+        prost_reflect::Value::I64(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(*v),
+        prost_reflect::Value::U32(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(*v),
+        prost_reflect::Value::U64(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(*v),
         prost_reflect::Value::F32(v) => vrl::value::Value::Float(
-            NotNan::new(f64::from(v.clone()))
-                .map_err(|_e| format!("Float number cannot be Nan"))?,
-        ),
-        prost_reflect::Value::F64(v) => vrl::value::Value::Float(
-            NotNan::new(v.clone()).map_err(|_e| format!("F64 number cannot be Nan"))?,
+            NotNan::new(f64::from(*v)).map_err(|_e| "Float number cannot be Nan")?,
         ),
+        prost_reflect::Value::F64(v) => {
+            vrl::value::Value::Float(NotNan::new(*v).map_err(|_e| "F64 number cannot be Nan")?)
+        }
         prost_reflect::Value::String(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.as_str()),
         prost_reflect::Value::Bytes(v) => vrl::value::Value::from(v.clone()),
         prost_reflect::Value::EnumNumber(v) => {
             if let Some(field_descriptor) = field_descriptor {
                 let kind = field_descriptor.kind();
-                let enum_desc = kind
-                    .as_enum()
-                    .ok_or_else(|| format!("Internal error while parsing protobuf enum"))?;
+                let enum_desc = kind.as_enum().ok_or_else(|| {
+                    format!(
+                        "Internal error while parsing protobuf enum. Field descriptor: {:?}",
+                        field_descriptor
+                    )
+                })?;
                 vrl::value::Value::from(
                     enum_desc
-                        .get_value(v.clone())
+                        .get_value(*v)
                         .ok_or_else(|| {
                             format!("The number {} cannot be in '{}'", v, enum_desc.name())
                         })?
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ fn to_vrl(
         }
         prost_reflect::Value::List(v) => {
             let vec = v
-                .into_iter()
+                .iter()
                 .map(|o| to_vrl(o, field_descriptor))
                 .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, vector_common::Error>>()?;
             vrl::value::Value::from(vec)
@@ -196,16 +198,22 @@ fn to_vrl(
         prost_reflect::Value::Map(v) => {
             if let Some(field_descriptor) = field_descriptor {
                 let kind = field_descriptor.kind();
-                let message_desc = kind
-                    .as_message()
-                    .ok_or_else(|| format!("Internal error while parsing protobuf message"))?;
+                let message_desc = kind.as_message().ok_or_else(|| {
+                    format!(
+                        "Internal error while parsing protobuf field descriptor: {:?}",
+                        field_descriptor
+                    )
+                })?;
                 vrl::value::Value::from(
-                    v.into_iter()
+                    v.iter()
                         .map(|kv| {
                             Ok((
                                 kv.0.as_str()
                                     .ok_or_else(|| {
-                                        format!("Internal error while parsing protobuf map")
+                                        format!(
+                                            "Internal error while parsing protobuf map. Field descriptor: {:?}",
+                                            field_descriptor
+                                        )
                                     })?
                                     .to_string(),
                                 to_vrl(kv.1, Some(&message_desc.map_entry_value_field()))?,