Spring org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'entityManagerFactory' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaConfiguration.class]: Invocation of init method failed; nested exception is java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com/google/protobuf/MessageOrBuilder

org.springframework.beans.factory.BeanCreationException: Error creating bean with name 'entityManagerFactory' defined in class path resource [org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/orm/jpa/HibernateJpaConfiguration.class]: Invocation of init method failed; nested exception is java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com/google/protobuf/MessageOrBuilder
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1804) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.doCreateBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:620) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.createBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:542) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.lambda$doGetBean$0(AbstractBeanFactory.java:335) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.getSingleton(DefaultSingletonBeanRegistry.java:234) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.doGetBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:333) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanFactory.getBean(AbstractBeanFactory.java:208) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.getBean(AbstractApplicationContext.java:1156) ~[spring-context-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.finishBeanFactoryInitialization(AbstractApplicationContext.java:910) ~[spring-context-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:583) ~[spring-context-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.boot.web.servlet.context.ServletWebServerApplicationContext.refresh(ServletWebServerApplicationContext.java:147) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refresh(SpringApplication.java:731) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.refreshContext(SpringApplication.java:408) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:307) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1303) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication.run(SpringApplication.java:1292) ~[spring-boot-2.7.12.jar:2.7.12]
    at PROCUREMENT.BACKEND.com.example.PROCUREMENT.BACKEND.ProcurementBackendApplication.main(ProcurementBackendApplication.java:14) ~[classes/:na]
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: com/google/protobuf/MessageOrBuilder
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:1012) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:150) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.defineClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:862) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.findClassOnClassPathOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:760) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClassOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:681) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:639) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:188) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:520) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:1012) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:150) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.defineClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:862) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.findClassOnClassPathOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:760) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClassOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:681) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:639) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:188) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:520) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods0(Native Method) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Class.privateGetDeclaredMethods(Class.java:3402) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.Class.getDeclaredMethods(Class.java:2504) ~[na:na]
    at org.hibernate.annotations.common.reflection.java.JavaXClass.getDeclaredMethodProperties(JavaXClass.java:97) ~[hibernate-commons-annotations-5.1.2.Final.jar:5.1.2.Final]
    at org.hibernate.annotations.common.reflection.java.JavaXClass.getDeclaredProperties(JavaXClass.java:116) ~[hibernate-commons-annotations-5.1.2.Final.jar:5.1.2.Final]
    at org.hibernate.annotations.common.reflection.java.JavaXClass.getDeclaredProperties(JavaXClass.java:108) ~[hibernate-commons-annotations-5.1.2.Final.jar:5.1.2.Final]
    at org.hibernate.cfg.InheritanceState.determineDefaultAccessType(InheritanceState.java:252) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.cfg.InheritanceState.getElementsToProcess(InheritanceState.java:211) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.cfg.AnnotationBinder.bindClass(AnnotationBinder.java:772) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.boot.model.source.internal.annotations.AnnotationMetadataSourceProcessorImpl.processEntityHierarchies(AnnotationMetadataSourceProcessorImpl.java:225) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.boot.model.process.spi.MetadataBuildingProcess$1.processEntityHierarchies(MetadataBuildingProcess.java:239) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.boot.model.process.spi.MetadataBuildingProcess.complete(MetadataBuildingProcess.java:282) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.jpa.boot.internal.EntityManagerFactoryBuilderImpl.metadata(EntityManagerFactoryBuilderImpl.java:1460) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.hibernate.jpa.boot.internal.EntityManagerFactoryBuilderImpl.build(EntityManagerFactoryBuilderImpl.java:1494) ~[hibernate-core-5.6.15.Final.jar:5.6.15.Final]
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.vendor.SpringHibernateJpaPersistenceProvider.createContainerEntityManagerFactory(SpringHibernateJpaPersistenceProvider.java:58) ~[spring-orm-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean.createNativeEntityManagerFactory(LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean.java:365) ~[spring-orm-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.buildNativeEntityManagerFactory(AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.java:409) ~[spring-orm-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.afterPropertiesSet(AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.java:396) ~[spring-orm-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean.afterPropertiesSet(LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean.java:341) ~[spring-orm-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.invokeInitMethods(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1863) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.initializeBean(AbstractAutowireCapableBeanFactory.java:1800) ~[spring-beans-5.3.27.jar:5.3.27]
    ... 16 common frames omitted
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.google.protobuf.MessageOrBuilder
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:641) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:188) ~[na:na]
    at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:520) ~[na:na]
    ... 55 common frames omitted

Comment From: bclozel

Thanks for getting in touch, but it feels like this is a question that would be better suited to Stack Overflow. As mentioned in the guidelines for contributing, we prefer to use the issue tracker only for bugs and enhancements. Feel free to update this issue with a link to the re-posted question (so that other people can find it) or add some more details if you feel this is a genuine bug.

In this case, your scanned entites must expose a com.google.protobuf.MessageOrBuilder that the application doesn't seem to have on the classpath at runtime. This is not a Spring Framework issue. As a side note, Spring Boot 2.7 is out of OSS support, please consider upgrading to a supported version at your earliest convenience.