diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f354ff921..9cfe10639 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2030,7 +2030,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "miden-proving-service-client"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.8.0"
 dependencies = [
  "async-trait",
  "getrandom",
diff --git a/bin/proving-service/Cargo.toml b/bin/proving-service/Cargo.toml
index f9ad82844..40ae16a98 100644
--- a/bin/proving-service/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bin/proving-service/Cargo.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name = "miden-proving-service"
 version = "0.8.0"
 description = "Miden rollup proving service"
 readme = "README.md"
-keywords = ["miden", "proving-service"]
+keywords = ["miden", "proving", "service"]
 license.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
 homepage.workspace = true
diff --git a/bin/proving-service/build.rs b/bin/proving-service/build.rs
index 973451b07..264d3dd2d 100644
--- a/bin/proving-service/build.rs
+++ b/bin/proving-service/build.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ use protox::prost::Message;
 /// otherwise the docs will fail to build there. Note that writing to `OUT_DIR` is fine.
 const BUILD_GENERATED_FILES_IN_SRC: bool = option_env!("BUILD_GENERATED_FILES_IN_SRC").is_some();
 
+const REPO_PROTO_DIR: &str = "../../proto";
+const CRATE_PROTO_DIR: &str = "proto";
+
 /// Generates Rust protobuf bindings from .proto files.
 ///
 /// Because the proto generated files will be written to ./src/generated, this should be a no-op
@@ -23,27 +26,37 @@ fn main() -> miette::Result<()> {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    copy_proto_files()?;
     compile_tonic_server_proto()
 }
+
+// HELPER FUNCTIONS
+// ================================================================================================
+
+/// Copies all api.proto file from the root proto directory to the proto directory of this crate.
+fn copy_proto_files() -> miette::Result<()> {
+    let src_file = format!("{REPO_PROTO_DIR}/api.proto");
+    let dest_file = format!("{CRATE_PROTO_DIR}/api.proto");
+
+    fs::remove_dir_all(CRATE_PROTO_DIR).into_diagnostic()?;
+    fs::create_dir_all(CRATE_PROTO_DIR).into_diagnostic()?;
+    fs::copy(src_file, dest_file).into_diagnostic()?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn compile_tonic_server_proto() -> miette::Result<()> {
     let crate_root =
         PathBuf::from(env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").expect("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR should be set"));
     let dst_dir = crate_root.join("src").join("generated");
 
-    // Construct the path to the proto/api.proto file
-    let proto_dir = crate_root
-        .parent() // Go up to the workspace root
-        .expect("bin directory should exist")
-        .parent() // Go up to the workspace root
-        .expect("Workspace root should exist")
-        .join("proto");
-
     // Remove `api.rs` if it exists.
     fs::remove_file(dst_dir.join("api.rs")).into_diagnostic().ok();
 
     let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").into_diagnostic()?;
     let file_descriptor_path = PathBuf::from(out_dir).join("file_descriptor_set.bin");
 
+    let proto_dir: PathBuf = CRATE_PROTO_DIR.into();
     let protos = &[proto_dir.join("api.proto")];
     let includes = &[proto_dir];
 
diff --git a/bin/proving-service/proto/api.proto b/bin/proving-service/proto/api.proto
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4555b326f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/proving-service/proto/api.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Specification of the user facing gRPC API.
+syntax = "proto3";
+package api;
+
+service Api {
+    rpc ProveTransaction(ProveTransactionRequest) returns (ProveTransactionResponse) {}
+}
+
+message ProveTransactionRequest {
+    bytes transaction_witness = 1;
+}
+
+message ProveTransactionResponse {
+    bytes proven_transaction = 1;
+}
diff --git a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/Cargo.toml b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/Cargo.toml
index 023a68182..77441dba9 100644
--- a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [package]
 name = "miden-proving-service-client"
-version = "0.1.0"
-description = "client library that provides a client for the remote provers"
+version = "0.8.0"
+description = "Client library for the Miden rollup proving service"
 readme = "README.md"
-keywords = ["miden", "miden-proving-service-client"]
+keywords = ["miden", "proving", "service"]
 license.workspace = true
 authors.workspace = true
 repository.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/build.rs b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/build.rs
index 4e271ec4c..ad10d95b7 100644
--- a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/build.rs
+++ b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/build.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ use protox::prost::Message;
 /// otherwise the docs will fail to build there. Note that writing to `OUT_DIR` is fine.
 const BUILD_GENERATED_FILES_IN_SRC: bool = option_env!("BUILD_GENERATED_FILES_IN_SRC").is_some();
 
+const REPO_PROTO_DIR: &str = "../../proto";
+const CRATE_PROTO_DIR: &str = "proto";
+
 /// Generates Rust protobuf bindings from .proto files.
 ///
 /// Because the proto generated files will be written to ./src/generated, this should be a no-op
@@ -24,28 +27,37 @@ fn main() -> miette::Result<()> {
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    copy_proto_files()?;
     compile_tonic_client_proto()
 }
 
+// HELPER FUNCTIONS
+// ================================================================================================
+
+/// Copies all api.proto file from the root proto directory to the proto directory of this crate.
+fn copy_proto_files() -> miette::Result<()> {
+    let src_file = format!("{REPO_PROTO_DIR}/api.proto");
+    let dest_file = format!("{CRATE_PROTO_DIR}/api.proto");
+
+    fs::remove_dir_all(CRATE_PROTO_DIR).into_diagnostic()?;
+    fs::create_dir_all(CRATE_PROTO_DIR).into_diagnostic()?;
+    fs::copy(src_file, dest_file).into_diagnostic()?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn compile_tonic_client_proto() -> miette::Result<()> {
     let crate_root =
         PathBuf::from(env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").expect("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR should be set"));
     let dst_dir = crate_root.join("src").join("generated");
 
-    // Compute the directory of the `proto` definitions
-    let proto_dir = crate_root
-        .parent()
-        .expect("crates directory should exist")
-        .parent()
-        .expect("workspace root should exist")
-        .join("proto");
-
     // Remove `api.rs` if it exists.
     fs::remove_file(dst_dir.join("api.rs")).into_diagnostic().ok();
 
     let out_dir = env::var("OUT_DIR").into_diagnostic()?;
     let file_descriptor_path = PathBuf::from(out_dir).join("file_descriptor_set.bin");
 
+    let proto_dir: PathBuf = CRATE_PROTO_DIR.into();
     let protos = &[proto_dir.join("api.proto")];
     let includes = &[proto_dir];
 
diff --git a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/proto/api.proto b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/proto/api.proto
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4555b326f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/proto/api.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Specification of the user facing gRPC API.
+syntax = "proto3";
+package api;
+
+service Api {
+    rpc ProveTransaction(ProveTransactionRequest) returns (ProveTransactionResponse) {}
+}
+
+message ProveTransactionRequest {
+    bytes transaction_witness = 1;
+}
+
+message ProveTransactionResponse {
+    bytes proven_transaction = 1;
+}
diff --git a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/src/lib.rs b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/src/lib.rs
index 66124f6cc..a12fd0251 100644
--- a/crates/miden-proving-service-client/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/miden-proving-service-client/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ mod prover;
 pub use prover::RemoteTransactionProver;
 
 /// Protobuf definition for the Miden proving service
-pub const SERVICE_PROTO: &str = include_str!("../../../proto/api.proto");
+pub const SERVICE_PROTO: &str = include_str!("../proto/api.proto");
 
 /// ERRORS
 /// ===============================================================================================