diff --git a/src/it/TEST-16/pom.xml b/src/it/TEST-16/pom.xml
index 65bbe9c3..0f9406a2 100644
--- a/src/it/TEST-16/pom.xml
+++ b/src/it/TEST-16/pom.xml
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@
     </properties>
 
     <build>
+        <extensions>
+            <extension>
+                <groupId>kr.motd.maven</groupId>
+                <artifactId>os-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>1.5.0.Final</version>
+            </extension>
+        </extensions>
         <plugins>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.xolstice.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -70,6 +77,14 @@
                                         <arg>prefix-</arg>
                                     </args>
                                 </protocPlugin>
+                                <protocPlugin>
+                                    <id>grpc-java</id>
+                                    <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
+                                    <artifactId>protoc-gen-grpc-java</artifactId>
+                                    <version>1.12.0</version>
+                                    <type>exe</type>
+                                    <classifier>${os.detected.classifier}</classifier>
+                                </protocPlugin>
                             </protocPlugins>
                         </configuration>
                     </execution>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/AbstractProtocMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/AbstractProtocMojo.java
index 1d20aeed..0c01782d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/AbstractProtocMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/AbstractProtocMojo.java
@@ -540,16 +540,23 @@ protected void createProtocPlugins() {
         final String javaHome = detectJavaHome();
 
         for (final ProtocPlugin plugin : protocPlugins) {
+            getLog().info("Building protoc plugin: " + plugin.getId());
 
-            if (plugin.getJavaHome() != null) {
-                getLog().debug("Using javaHome defined in plugin definition: " + plugin.getJavaHome());
+            if (plugin.getMainClass() == null) {
+                final Artifact pluginArtifact = createDependencyArtifact(plugin.getGroupId(), plugin.getArtifactId(),
+                    plugin.getVersion(), plugin.getType(), plugin.getClassifier());
+                final File file = resolveBinaryArtifact(pluginArtifact);
+                getLog().debug("Setting executableFile for plugin: " + file.getAbsolutePath());
+                plugin.setExecutableFile(file);
             } else {
-                getLog().debug("Setting javaHome for plugin: " + javaHome);
-                plugin.setJavaHome(javaHome);
-            }
+                if (plugin.getJavaHome() != null) {
+                    getLog().debug("Using javaHome defined in plugin definition: " + plugin.getJavaHome());
+                } else {
+                    getLog().debug("Setting javaHome for plugin: " + javaHome);
+                    plugin.setJavaHome(javaHome);
+                }
 
-            getLog().info("Building protoc plugin: " + plugin.getId());
-            final ProtocPluginAssembler assembler = new ProtocPluginAssembler(
+                final ProtocPluginAssembler assembler = new ProtocPluginAssembler(
                     plugin,
                     session,
                     project.getArtifact(),
@@ -560,7 +567,8 @@ protected void createProtocPlugins() {
                     remoteRepositories,
                     protocPluginDirectory,
                     getLog());
-            assembler.execute();
+                assembler.execute();
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPlugin.java b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPlugin.java
index fab66814..22c24076 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPlugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPlugin.java
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public class ProtocPlugin {
 
     private String version;
 
+    private String type;
+
     private String classifier;
 
     private String mainClass;
@@ -63,6 +65,8 @@ public class ProtocPlugin {
 
     private List<String> jvmArgs;
 
+    private File executableFile;
+
     /**
      * Returns the unique id for this plugin.
      *
@@ -100,6 +104,15 @@ public String getVersion() {
         return version;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an optional type of the plugin's artifact for dependency resolution.
+     *
+     * @return the plugin's artifact type.
+     */
+    public String getType() {
+        return type;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns an optional classifier of the plugin's artifact for dependency resolution.
      *
@@ -152,6 +165,10 @@ public String getPluginName() {
         return "protoc-gen-" + id;
     }
 
+    public void setExecutableFile(final File executableFile) {
+        this.executableFile = executableFile;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Validate the state of this plugin specification.
      *
@@ -170,9 +187,6 @@ public void validate(final Log log) {
         if (version == null) {
             throw new MojoConfigurationException("version must be set in protocPlugin definition");
         }
-        if (mainClass == null) {
-            throw new MojoConfigurationException("mainClass must be set in protocPlugin definition");
-        }
         if (javaHome == null || !new File(javaHome).isDirectory()) {
             throw new MojoConfigurationException("javaHome is invalid: " + javaHome);
         }
@@ -223,10 +237,14 @@ private boolean archDirectoryExists(String arch) {
      * @return file handle for the plugin executable.
      */
     public File getPluginExecutableFile(final File pluginDirectory) {
-        if (Os.isFamily(Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS)) {
-            return new File(pluginDirectory, getPluginName() + ".exe");
+        if (executableFile != null) {
+            return executableFile;
         } else {
-            return new File(pluginDirectory, getPluginName());
+            if (Os.isFamily(Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS)) {
+                return new File(pluginDirectory, getPluginName() + ".exe");
+            } else {
+                return new File(pluginDirectory, getPluginName());
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -237,12 +255,14 @@ public String toString() {
                 ", groupId='" + groupId + '\'' +
                 ", artifactId='" + artifactId + '\'' +
                 ", version='" + version + '\'' +
+                ", type='" + type + '\'' +
                 ", classifier='" + classifier + '\'' +
                 ", mainClass='" + mainClass + '\'' +
                 ", javaHome='" + javaHome + '\'' +
                 ", winJvmDataModel='" + winJvmDataModel + '\'' +
                 ", args=" + args +
                 ", jvmArgs=" + jvmArgs +
+                ", executableFile=" + executableFile +
                 '}';
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPluginAssembler.java b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPluginAssembler.java
index aded96db..a59a5d8b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPluginAssembler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xolstice/maven/plugin/protobuf/ProtocPluginAssembler.java
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ private void resolvePluginDependencies() {
                         pluginDefinition.getGroupId(),
                         pluginDefinition.getArtifactId(),
                         versionSpec,
-                        "jar",
+                        pluginDefinition.getType() != null ? pluginDefinition.getType() : "jar",
                         pluginDefinition.getClassifier(),
                         Artifact.SCOPE_RUNTIME);