diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8e98337..8a8ae4d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ csv = "1.4"
 gtfs-structures = "0.47"
 gtfs-realtime = "0.2"
 log = "0.4"
+prost = "0.14"
+prost-types = "0.14"
 reqwest = { version = "0.11", features = ["blocking"] }
 sdl3 = {version = "0.17", features = ["ttf"]}
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"]}
diff --git a/src/gtfs/realtime.rs b/src/gtfs/realtime.rs
index 7eb765f..3dec2e9 100644
--- a/src/gtfs/realtime.rs
+++ b/src/gtfs/realtime.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@ impl Gtfs<'_> {
         }
 
         // Parse response
-        let realtime_info: gtfs_realtime::FeedMessage  
-            = serde_json::from_reader(response)?;
+        let response_bytes= response.bytes()?;
+        let data: Result<gtfs_realtime::FeedMessage, prost::DecodeError> = prost::Message::decode(response_bytes.as_ref());
+        if data.is_err() {
+            return Err(Error {  
+                _message : format! ("Error loading realtime prtobuf: {:#?}", data.err().unwrap())
+            })
+        }
 
 
         // Build a map of (trip, stop) -> Arrival for faster lookup
@@ -41,7 +46,9 @@ impl Gtfs<'_> {
         }
 
         // Match deltas to existing arrivals
-        for entity  in realtime_info.entity {
+        let entities = data.unwrap().entity;
+        debug!("Loaded {} entities from realtime update.", entities.len());
+        for entity  in entities {
             if entity.trip_update.is_some() && entity.stop.is_some() {
                 let trip_update = entity.trip_update.unwrap();