Vascular plants use the phloem to move sugars and other molecules from source leaves to sink organs such as roots and fruits. Within the phloem, enucleate sieve elements provide the low-resistance pipe system that enable bulk flow of sap. In this review, we provide an overview of the highly specific protein machinery that localize to mature sieve elements without entering the phloem translocation stream. Generally, the proteins either maintain the flow, protect the sieve element against pathogens or transmit system wide signals. A notable exception is found in poppy, where part of the opium biosynthesis is compartmentalized in sieve elements. Biosynthesis of sieve element proteins happens either continuously in companion cell or transiently in immature sieve elements before nuclear disintegration. The latter population is translated during differentiation and stays functional without turnover during the entire lifespan of sieve elements. We discuss how protein longevity imposes some interesting restrictions on plants, especially in arborescent monocots with long living sieve elements.