diff --git a/wire-java-generator/src/main/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGenerator.java b/wire-java-generator/src/main/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGenerator.java
index b310f78faf..5c8345eb60 100644
--- a/wire-java-generator/src/main/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGenerator.java
+++ b/wire-java-generator/src/main/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGenerator.java
@@ -844,6 +844,7 @@ private TypeSpec generateMessage(MessageType type) {
     builder.addMethod(messageConstructor(nameAllocator, type, builderJavaType));
 
     builder.addMethod(newBuilder(nameAllocator, type));
+    builder.addMethod(staticBuilder(type));
 
     builder.addMethod(messageEquals(nameAllocator, type));
     builder.addMethod(messageHashCode(nameAllocator, type));
@@ -2077,6 +2078,23 @@ private MethodSpec newBuilder(NameAllocator nameAllocator, MessageType message)
     return result.build();
   }
 
+  // Example:
+  //
+  // public static final Builder builder() {
+  //   return new Builder();
+  // }
+  private MethodSpec staticBuilder(MessageType message) {
+    ClassName javaType = (ClassName) typeName(message.getType());
+    ClassName builderJavaType = javaType.nestedClass("Builder");
+
+    MethodSpec.Builder result =
+        MethodSpec.methodBuilder("builder")
+            .addModifiers(PUBLIC, STATIC, FINAL)
+            .returns(builderJavaType)
+            .addStatement("return new $1T()", builderJavaType);
+    return result.build();
+  }
+
   private MethodSpec setter(
       NameAllocator nameAllocator, TypeName builderType, OneOf oneOf, Field field) {
     TypeName javaType = fieldType(field);
diff --git a/wire-java-generator/src/test/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGeneratorTest.java b/wire-java-generator/src/test/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGeneratorTest.java
index 947803380b..f0a40737c6 100644
--- a/wire-java-generator/src/test/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGeneratorTest.java
+++ b/wire-java-generator/src/test/java/com/squareup/wire/java/JavaGeneratorTest.java
@@ -437,6 +437,26 @@ public void nestedAbstractAdapterIsStatic() throws IOException {
                 + "  public abstract static class AbstractBAdapter extends ProtoAdapter<String> {\n");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void builderFactoryMethodIsGenerated() throws IOException {
+    Schema schema =
+        new SchemaBuilder()
+            .add(
+                Path.get("message.proto"),
+                ""
+                    + "syntax = \"proto2\";\n"
+                    + "message SomeMessage {\n"
+                    + "  optional string a = 1;\n"
+                    + "}\n")
+            .build();
+    String javaOutput = new JavaWithProfilesGenerator(schema).generateJava("SomeMessage");
+    assertThat(javaOutput)
+        .contains(
+            "  public static final Builder builder() {\n"
+                + "    return new Builder();\n"
+                + "  }\n");
+  }
+
   /** https://github.com/square/wire/issues/655 */
   @Test
   public void defaultValues() throws IOException {