diff --git a/python/pyspark/broadcast.py b/python/pyspark/broadcast.py
index 74dee1420754a..e04f1c3fb63d5 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/broadcast.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/broadcast.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 
 from pyspark.cloudpickle import print_exec
+from pyspark.serializers import protocol
 
 if sys.version < '3':
     import cPickle as pickle
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ def __init__(self, sc=None, value=None, pickle_registry=None, path=None):
 
     def dump(self, value, f):
         try:
-            pickle.dump(value, f, 2)
+            pickle.dump(value, f, protocol)
         except pickle.PickleError:
             raise
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/python/pyspark/serializers.py b/python/pyspark/serializers.py
index 2a1326947f4f5..d2a65351433bf 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/serializers.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/serializers.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
     from itertools import izip as zip
 else:
     import pickle
-    protocol = 3
+    protocol = min(pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL, 4)
     xrange = range
 
 from pyspark import cloudpickle