diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 821604db3..5989288b0 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -468,8 +468,14 @@ export type Utils = ReturnType<typeof makeDeepPartial> &
   ReturnType<typeof makeAssertionUtils> &
   ReturnType<typeof makeMessageFns>;
 
+export enum MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs {
+  EXPORT_AS_UNDEFINED,
+  EXPORT_AS_DEFINED,
+  EXPORT_AS_OPTIONAL,
+}
+
 /** These are runtime utility methods used by the generated code. */
-export function makeUtils(options: Options): Utils {
+export function makeUtils(options: Options, exportPartialAs: MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs): Utils {
   const bytes = makeByteUtils(options);
   const longs = makeLongUtils(options, bytes);
   const deepPartial = makeDeepPartial(options, longs);
@@ -485,7 +491,7 @@ export function makeUtils(options: Options): Utils {
     ...makeGrpcWebErrorClass(bytes),
     ...extension,
     ...makeAssertionUtils(bytes),
-    ...makeMessageFns(options, deepPartial, extension),
+    ...makeMessageFns(options, deepPartial, extension, exportPartialAs),
   };
 }
 
@@ -707,6 +713,7 @@ function makeMessageFns(
   options: Options,
   deepPartial: ReturnType<typeof makeDeepPartial>,
   extension: ReturnType<typeof makeExtensionClass>,
+  exportPartialAs: MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs,
 ) {
   const BinaryWriter = imp("BinaryWriter@@bufbuild/protobuf/wire");
   const BinaryReader = imp("BinaryReader@@bufbuild/protobuf/wire");
@@ -773,10 +780,20 @@ function makeMessageFns(
   if (options.outputPartialMethods) {
     if (options.useExactTypes) {
       commonStaticMembers.push(code`create<I extends ${Exact}<${DeepPartial}<T>, I>>(base?: I): T;`);
-      commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial<I extends ${Exact}<${DeepPartial}<T>, I>>(object: I): T;`);
+      
+      if (exportPartialAs === MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_DEFINED) {
+        commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial<I extends ${Exact}<${DeepPartial}<T>, I>>(object: I): T;`);
+      } else if (exportPartialAs === MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_OPTIONAL) {
+        commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial?: <I extends ${Exact}<${DeepPartial}<T>, I>>(object: I) => T;`);
+      }
     } else {
       commonStaticMembers.push(code`create(base?: DeepPartial<T>): T;`);
-      commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial(object: DeepPartial<T>): T;`);
+      
+      if (exportPartialAs === MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_DEFINED) {
+        commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial(object: DeepPartial<T>): T;`);
+      } else if (exportPartialAs === MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_OPTIONAL) {
+        commonStaticMembers.push(code`fromPartial?: (object: DeepPartial<T>) => T;`);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/plugin.ts b/src/plugin.ts
index e0df00540..3d2e08ab4 100644
--- a/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/src/plugin.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import {
   FileDescriptorProto,
 } from "ts-proto-descriptors";
 import { promisify } from "util";
-import { generateIndexFiles, getVersions, protoFilesToGenerate, readToBuffer } from "./utils";
-import { generateFile, makeUtils } from "./main";
-import { createTypeMap } from "./types";
 import { BaseContext, createFileContext } from "./context";
-import { getTsPoetOpts, optionsFromParameter } from "./options";
 import { generateTypeRegistry } from "./generate-type-registry";
+import { generateFile, makeUtils, MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs } from "./main";
+import { getTsPoetOpts, optionsFromParameter } from "./options";
+import { createTypeMap } from "./types";
+import { generateIndexFiles, getVersions, protoFilesToGenerate, readToBuffer } from "./utils";
 
 // this would be the plugin called by the protoc compiler
 async function main() {
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ async function main() {
 
   const options = optionsFromParameter(request.parameter);
   const typeMap = createTypeMap(request, options);
-  const utils = makeUtils(options);
-  const ctx: BaseContext = { typeMap, options, utils };
 
   let filesToGenerate: FileDescriptorProto[];
 
@@ -50,14 +48,22 @@ async function main() {
 
   const files = await Promise.all(
     filesToGenerate.map(async (file) => {
-      const [path, code] = generateFile({ ...ctx, currentFile: createFileContext(file) }, file);
+      const fileContext = createFileContext(file);
+      const utils = makeUtils(
+        options,
+        fileContext.isProto3Syntax ?
+          MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_DEFINED :
+          MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_UNDEFINED
+      );
+      const ctx: BaseContext = { typeMap, options, utils };
+      const [path, code] = generateFile({ ...ctx, currentFile: fileContext }, file);
       const content = code.toString({ ...getTsPoetOpts(options, tsProtoVersion, protocVersion, file.name), path });
       return { name: path, content };
     }),
   );
 
   if (options.outputTypeRegistry) {
-    const utils = makeUtils(options);
+    const utils = makeUtils(options, MakeUtilsExportCreatePartialAs.EXPORT_AS_OPTIONAL);
     const ctx: BaseContext = { options, typeMap, utils };
 
     const path = "typeRegistry.ts";