diff --git a/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient.java b/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient.java
index aadfd5b638..b23c08d265 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient.java
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ public class BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient implements BackgroundResource {
   private final OperationsClient operationsClient;
 
   /** Constructs an instance of BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient with default settings. */
-  public static final BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create() throws IOException {
+  protected static BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create() throws IOException {
     return create(BaseBigtableInstanceAdminSettings.newBuilder().build());
   }
 
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ public static final BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create() throws IOException
    * channels are created based on the settings passed in, or defaults for any settings that are not
    * set.
    */
-  public static final BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create(
+  protected static BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create(
       BaseBigtableInstanceAdminSettings settings) throws IOException {
     return new BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient(settings);
   }
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ public static final BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create(
    * Constructs an instance of BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient, using the given stub for making
    * calls. This is for advanced usage - prefer using create(BaseBigtableInstanceAdminSettings).
    */
-  public static final BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create(BigtableInstanceAdminStub stub) {
+  protected static BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient create(BigtableInstanceAdminStub stub) {
     return new BaseBigtableInstanceAdminClient(stub);
   }
 
diff --git a/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableTableAdminClient.java b/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableTableAdminClient.java
index 7caa206d32..9a3758b373 100644
--- a/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableTableAdminClient.java
+++ b/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/BaseBigtableTableAdminClient.java
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ public class BaseBigtableTableAdminClient implements BackgroundResource {
   private final OperationsClient operationsClient;
 
   /** Constructs an instance of BaseBigtableTableAdminClient with default settings. */
-  public static final BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create() throws IOException {
+  protected static BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create() throws IOException {
     return create(BaseBigtableTableAdminSettings.newBuilder().build());
   }
 
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ public static final BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create() throws IOException {
    * Constructs an instance of BaseBigtableTableAdminClient, using the given settings. The channels
    * are created based on the settings passed in, or defaults for any settings that are not set.
    */
-  public static final BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create(BaseBigtableTableAdminSettings settings)
+  protected static BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create(BaseBigtableTableAdminSettings settings)
       throws IOException {
     return new BaseBigtableTableAdminClient(settings);
   }
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ public static final BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create(BaseBigtableTableAdminSe
    * Constructs an instance of BaseBigtableTableAdminClient, using the given stub for making calls.
    * This is for advanced usage - prefer using create(BaseBigtableTableAdminSettings).
    */
-  public static final BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create(BigtableTableAdminStub stub) {
+  protected static BaseBigtableTableAdminClient create(BigtableTableAdminStub stub) {
     return new BaseBigtableTableAdminClient(stub);
   }
 
diff --git a/owlbot.py b/owlbot.py
index f3f71fd2aa..8b4ebb3d39 100644
--- a/owlbot.py
+++ b/owlbot.py
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ def make_internal_only(sources):
   if os.path.exists("owl-bot-staging/v2/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/package-info.java"):
     os.remove("owl-bot-staging/v2/google-cloud-bigtable/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/bigtable/admin/v2/package-info.java")
 
+  # Remove the 'final' modifier from all static create() factory methods in the Base Admin clients
+  # This allows our handwritten Selective GAPIC subclasses to hide these methods.
+  s.replace(
+      f"{library}/**/BaseBigtable*AdminClient.java",
+      r"public static final BaseBigtable(.*)AdminClient create\(",
+      r"protected static BaseBigtable\1AdminClient create("
+  )
+
   s.move(library)
 
 s.remove_staging_dirs()