address nits

diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 023da5f..f3119b6 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel

@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 )
 
 bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.3.0")
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "21.7", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
 
 # Dependencies needed in tests
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.1", dev_dependency = True)
 bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.11.0", dev_dependency = True, repo_name = "com_google_googletest")
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "21.7", dev_dependency = True, repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
\ No newline at end of file

diff --git a/dev_deps.bzl b/dev_deps.bzl
index 08b94d3..8924465 100644
--- a/dev_deps.bzl
+++ b/dev_deps.bzl

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"dev dependencies needed to develop rules_proto"
+"""dev dependencies needed to develop rules_proto"""
 
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
 

diff --git a/proto/BUILD b/proto/BUILD
index 907b091..047b8ec 100644
--- a/proto/BUILD
+++ b/proto/BUILD

@@ -28,10 +28,7 @@
     srcs = [
         "repositories.bzl",
     ],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-    deps = [
-        "//proto/private:dependencies",
-    ],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"]
 )
 
 # Toolchain type provided by proto_toolchain rule and used by proto_library

diff --git a/proto/private/BUILD b/proto/private/BUILD
index f45f4ed..3ba0579 100644
--- a/proto/private/BUILD
+++ b/proto/private/BUILD

@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 load("@bazel_skylib//:bzl_library.bzl", "bzl_library")
 
-bzl_library(
-    name = "dependencies",
-    srcs = ["dependencies.bzl"],
-    visibility = ["//proto:__subpackages__"],
-)
 
 bzl_library(
     name = "native",

diff --git a/proto/repositories.bzl b/proto/repositories.bzl
index a13cf9c..3cf220c 100644
--- a/proto/repositories.bzl
+++ b/proto/repositories.bzl

@@ -14,18 +14,16 @@
 
 """Dependencies and toolchains required to use rules_proto."""
 
-load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", _http_archive = "http_archive")
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl", "maybe")
 
-def http_archive(name, **kwargs):
-    maybe(_http_archive, name = name, **kwargs)
-
 def rules_proto_dependencies():
     """An utility method to load all dependencies of `rules_proto`.
 
     Loads the remote repositories used by default in Bazel.
     """
-    http_archive(
+    maybe(
+        http_archive,
         name = "bazel_skylib",
         sha256 = "74d544d96f4a5bb630d465ca8bbcfe231e3594e5aae57e1edbf17a6eb3ca2506",
         urls = [