diff --git a/proto-google-cloud-spanner-v1/clirr-ignored-differences.xml b/proto-google-cloud-spanner-v1/clirr-ignored-differences.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c210bad73e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto-google-cloud-spanner-v1/clirr-ignored-differences.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!-- see http://www.mojohaus.org/clirr-maven-plugin/examples/ignored-differences.html -->
+<differences>
+  <difference>
+    <differenceType>7012</differenceType>
+    <className>com/google/spanner/v1/ExecuteSqlRequestOrBuilder</className>
+    <method>* getQueryOptions()</method>
+  </difference>
+  <difference>
+    <differenceType>7012</differenceType>
+    <className>com/google/spanner/v1/ExecuteSqlRequestOrBuilder</className>
+    <method>* getQueryOptionsOrBuilder()</method>
+  </difference>
+  <difference>
+    <differenceType>7012</differenceType>
+    <className>com/google/spanner/v1/ExecuteSqlRequestOrBuilder</className>
+    <method>* hasQueryOptions()</method>
+  </difference>
+</differences>