diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 22f016a50f..468623158e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -14,5 +14,4 @@ drivers/
 .android-sdk/
 .gradle/
 nohup.out
-api.json
 .trace
diff --git a/packages/build_package.js b/packages/build_package.js
index e12f60518b..555bcf0c40 100755
--- a/packages/build_package.js
+++ b/packages/build_package.js
@@ -113,9 +113,6 @@ if (!args.some(arg => arg === '--no-cleanup')) {
   for (const file of package.files)
     await copyToPackage(path.join(ROOT_PATH, file), path.join(packagePath, file));
 
-  await copyToPackage(path.join(ROOT_PATH, 'api.json'), path.join(packagePath, 'api.json'));
-  await copyToPackage(path.join(ROOT_PATH, 'src/protocol/protocol.yml'), path.join(packagePath, 'protocol.yml'));
-
   // 4. Generate package.json
   const pwInternalJSON = require(path.join(ROOT_PATH, 'package.json'));
   await writeToPackage('package.json', JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/packages/common/.npmignore b/packages/common/.npmignore
index e55a377e16..ef19e0048e 100644
--- a/packages/common/.npmignore
+++ b/packages/common/.npmignore
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ lib/**/injected/
 !README.md
 !LICENSE
 !NOTICE
-# Include protocol and api docs, so that dependent packages can consume them.
-!api.json
-!protocol.yml
 # Include browser descriptors.
 !browsers.json
 # Include commit info
diff --git a/src/cli/driver.ts b/src/cli/driver.ts
index 5f7d622c17..306d6b595f 100644
--- a/src/cli/driver.ts
+++ b/src/cli/driver.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-console */
 
 import fs from 'fs';
-import path from 'path';
 import * as playwright from '../..';
 import { BrowserType } from '../client/browserType';
 import { LaunchServerOptions } from '../client/types';
@@ -31,13 +30,10 @@ import { gracefullyCloseAll } from '../server/processLauncher';
 import { BrowserName } from '../utils/registry';
 
 export function printApiJson() {
+  // Note: this file is generated by build-playwright-driver.sh
   console.log(JSON.stringify(require('../../api.json')));
 }
 
-export function printProtocol() {
-  console.log(fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'protocol.yml'), 'utf8'));
-}
-
 export function runDriver() {
   const dispatcherConnection = new DispatcherConnection();
   const transport = new Transport(process.stdout, process.stdin);
diff --git a/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh b/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
index e1830ee8be..09a9be7b99 100755
--- a/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
+++ b/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ mkdir -p ./output
 echo "Building playwright package"
 ../../packages/build_package.js playwright ./output/playwright.tgz
 
+echo "Building api.json and protocol.yml"
+node ../../utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js > ./output/api.json
+cp ../../src/protocol/protocol.yml ./output/
+
 function build {
   NODE_DIR=$1
   SUFFIX=$2
@@ -45,6 +49,8 @@ function build {
   fi
 
   cp ./output/${NODE_DIR}/LICENSE ./output/playwright-${SUFFIX}/
+  cp ./output/api.json ./output/playwright-${SUFFIX}/package/
+  cp ./output/protocol.yml ./output/playwright-${SUFFIX}/package/
   cd ./output/playwright-${SUFFIX}/package
   PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1 node "../../${NODE_DIR}/${NPM_PATH}" install --production
   rm package-lock.json
diff --git a/utils/build/build.js b/utils/build/build.js
index 2ae729715e..c1b94e3bec 100644
--- a/utils/build/build.js
+++ b/utils/build/build.js
@@ -91,15 +91,6 @@ steps.push({
   shell: true,
 });
 
-// Generate api.json.
-onChanges.push({
-  committed: false,
-  inputs: [
-    'docs/src/api/',
-  ],
-  script: 'utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js',
-});
-
 // Generate channels.
 onChanges.push({
   committed: false,
diff --git a/utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js b/utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js
index 8b36ef00f9..9341d9aed8 100644
--- a/utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js
+++ b/utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const PROJECT_DIR = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..');
   });
   documentation.generateSourceCodeComments();
   const result = serialize(documentation);
-  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(PROJECT_DIR, 'api.json'), JSON.stringify(result));
+  console.log(JSON.stringify(result));
 }
 
 /**