diff --git a/python/arcticdb/adapters/mongo_library_adapter.py b/python/arcticdb/adapters/mongo_library_adapter.py
index d32275001d..db16c4f68c 100644
--- a/python/arcticdb/adapters/mongo_library_adapter.py
+++ b/python/arcticdb/adapters/mongo_library_adapter.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ def supports_uri(uri: str) -> bool:
 
     def __init__(self, uri: str, encoding_version: EncodingVersion, *args, **kwargs):
         try:
-            parameters = pymongo.uri_parser.parse_uri(uri)
+            parameters = pymongo.uri_parser.parse_uri(
+                uri
+            )  # also checks pymongo uri syntax, throw exception as early as possible if syntax is incorrect
             self._endpoint = f"{parameters['nodelist'][0][0]}:{parameters['nodelist'][0][1]}"
         except Exception as e:
             raise UserInputException(
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 19f91ab4b8..9bbb1add25 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ install_requires =
     decorator
     prometheus_client
     packaging
+    pymongo
 
 [flake8]
 # max line length for black
@@ -126,7 +127,6 @@ Testing =
     flask  # Used by moto
     flask-cors
     hypothesis <6.73
-    pymongo
     azure-storage-blob
     azure-identity
     coverage
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 1a86fbebbd..34292eb7cb 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ def run(self):
         python = sys.version_info[:2]
         print(f"\nProtoc compilation (into '{output_dir}') for versions '{self.proto_vers}':")
         for proto_ver in self.proto_vers:
-            if (python <= (3, 6) and proto_ver >= "4") or (python >= (3, 11) and proto_ver == "3"):
+            if python >= (3, 11) and proto_ver == "3":
+                print(f"Python protobuf {proto_ver} is not officially supported on Python {python}. Skipping...") # e.g. https://pypi.org/project/protobuf/3.20.3/#files
+            elif python <= (3, 6) and proto_ver >= "4":
                 print(f"Python protobuf {proto_ver} do not run on Python {python}. Skipping...")
             else:
                 self._compile_one_version(proto_ver, os.path.join(output_dir, proto_ver))