diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index 86e4288e8e..3ef251715e 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ shell.Run cmd, 0, False
         # Migrated env: force-reinstall unsloth+unsloth-zoo to ensure clean state
         # in the new venv location, while preserving existing torch/CUDA
         Write-Host "==> Upgrading unsloth in migrated environment..."
-        uv pip install --python $VenvPython --reinstall-package unsloth --reinstall-package unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.12" unsloth-zoo
+        uv pip install --python $VenvPython --reinstall-package unsloth --reinstall-package unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.14" unsloth-zoo
         if ($StudioLocalInstall) {
             Write-Host "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
             uv pip install --python $VenvPython -e $RepoRoot --no-deps
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ shell.Run cmd, 0, False
 
         Write-Host "==> Installing unsloth (this may take a few minutes)..."
         if ($StudioLocalInstall) {
-            uv pip install --python $VenvPython --upgrade-package unsloth "unsloth>=2026.3.12" unsloth-zoo
+            uv pip install --python $VenvPython --upgrade-package unsloth "unsloth>=2026.3.14" unsloth-zoo
             Write-Host "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
             uv pip install --python $VenvPython -e $RepoRoot --no-deps
         } else {
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ shell.Run cmd, 0, False
         # Fallback: GPU detection failed to produce a URL -- let uv resolve torch
         Write-Host "==> Installing unsloth (this may take a few minutes)..."
         if ($StudioLocalInstall) {
-            uv pip install --python $VenvPython unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.12" --torch-backend=auto
+            uv pip install --python $VenvPython unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.14" --torch-backend=auto
             Write-Host "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
             uv pip install --python $VenvPython -e $RepoRoot --no-deps
         } else {
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index ebb5b1f9ae..a0f6ef2ee5 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ if [ "$_MIGRATED" = true ]; then
     echo "==> Upgrading unsloth in migrated environment..."
     uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" \
         --reinstall-package unsloth --reinstall-package unsloth-zoo \
-        "unsloth>=2026.3.12" unsloth-zoo
+        "unsloth>=2026.3.14" unsloth-zoo
     if [ "$STUDIO_LOCAL_INSTALL" = true ]; then
         echo "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
         uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" -e "$_REPO_ROOT" --no-deps
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ elif [ -n "$TORCH_INDEX_URL" ]; then
     echo "==> Installing unsloth (this may take a few minutes)..."
     if [ "$STUDIO_LOCAL_INSTALL" = true ]; then
         uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" \
-            --upgrade-package unsloth "unsloth>=2026.3.12" unsloth-zoo
+            --upgrade-package unsloth "unsloth>=2026.3.14" unsloth-zoo
         echo "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
         uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" -e "$_REPO_ROOT" --no-deps
     else
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ else
     # Fallback: GPU detection failed to produce a URL -- let uv resolve torch
     echo "==> Installing unsloth (this may take a few minutes)..."
     if [ "$STUDIO_LOCAL_INSTALL" = true ]; then
-        uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.12" --torch-backend=auto
+        uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" unsloth-zoo "unsloth>=2026.3.14" --torch-backend=auto
         echo "==> Overlaying local repo (editable)..."
         uv pip install --python "$_VENV_PY" -e "$_REPO_ROOT" --no-deps
     else
diff --git a/studio/backend/colab.py b/studio/backend/colab.py
index ad9a7e98b2..deddf28087 100644
--- a/studio/backend/colab.py
+++ b/studio/backend/colab.py
@@ -30,17 +30,45 @@ def _pip_install_backend_deps() -> None:
 
     Used on Colab when the Studio venv does not exist (install.sh was not
     run).  Reads the requirements from studio.txt next to this file.
+
+    Version constraints are stripped entirely so pip keeps whatever Colab
+    already has installed (e.g. huggingface-hub, datasets, transformers)
+    and only installs genuinely missing packages like structlog, fastapi.
     """
+    import re
     import subprocess
 
     req_file = Path(__file__).parent / "requirements" / "studio.txt"
     if not req_file.exists():
         return
+
+    packages = []
+    for line in req_file.read_text().splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if not line or line.startswith("#"):
+            continue
+        # Strip all version constraints -- just keep the package name
+        pkg_name = re.split(r"[><=!~;\[]", line)[0].strip()
+        if pkg_name:
+            packages.append(pkg_name)
+
+    if not packages:
+        return
     print("Installing Studio backend dependencies ...")
     subprocess.check_call(
-        [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "-q", "-r", str(req_file)],
+        [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "-q"] + packages,
     )
 
+    # Colab ships huggingface-hub 0.36.x which removed is_offline_mode,
+    # breaking transformers. Upgrade to 1.0+ which restored it.
+    try:
+        from huggingface_hub import is_offline_mode  # noqa: F401
+    except ImportError:
+        print("Upgrading huggingface-hub (is_offline_mode missing) ...")
+        subprocess.check_call(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "-q", "huggingface-hub>=1.0"],
+        )
+
 
 def _bootstrap_studio_venv() -> None:
     """Expose the Studio venv's site-packages to the current interpreter.
diff --git a/studio/install_python_stack.py b/studio/install_python_stack.py
index 39fec2e6f5..2c64695241 100644
--- a/studio/install_python_stack.py
+++ b/studio/install_python_stack.py
@@ -373,11 +373,29 @@ def install_python_stack() -> int:
             ],
         )
     else:
-        run(
-            "Upgrading pip",
-            [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", "pip"],
+        # pip may not exist yet (uv-created venvs omit it). Try ensurepip
+        # first, then upgrade. Only fall back to a direct upgrade when pip
+        # is already present.
+        _has_pip = (
+            subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "--version"],
+                stdout = subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                stderr = subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            ).returncode
+            == 0
         )
 
+        if not _has_pip:
+            run(
+                "Bootstrapping pip via ensurepip",
+                [sys.executable, "-m", "ensurepip", "--upgrade"],
+            )
+        else:
+            run(
+                "Upgrading pip",
+                [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "--upgrade", "pip"],
+            )
+
     # 3. Core packages: unsloth-zoo + unsloth (or custom package name)
     if skip_base:
         print(_green(f"✅ {package_name} already installed — skipping base packages"))
diff --git a/studio/setup.sh b/studio/setup.sh
index dd758e49e8..f103dd95a4 100755
--- a/studio/setup.sh
+++ b/studio/setup.sh
@@ -295,9 +295,14 @@ VENV_T5_DIR="$STUDIO_HOME/.venv_t5"
 _COLAB_NO_VENV=false
 if [ ! -x "$VENV_DIR/bin/python" ]; then
     if [ "$IS_COLAB" = true ]; then
-        # On Colab there is no Studio venv -- install backend deps into system Python
+        # On Colab there is no Studio venv -- install backend deps into system Python.
+        # Strip all version constraints so pip keeps Colab's pre-installed
+        # packages (huggingface-hub, datasets, transformers) and only pulls
+        # in genuinely missing ones (structlog, fastapi, etc.).
         echo "   Colab detected, installing Studio backend dependencies..."
-        pip install -q -r "$SCRIPT_DIR/backend/requirements/studio.txt" 2>/dev/null || true
+        sed 's/[><=!~;].*//' "$SCRIPT_DIR/backend/requirements/studio.txt" \
+            | grep -v '^#' | grep -v '^$' \
+            | pip install -q -r /dev/stdin 2>/dev/null || true
         _COLAB_NO_VENV=true
     else
         echo "❌ ERROR: Virtual environment not found at $VENV_DIR"
diff --git a/unsloth/models/_utils.py b/unsloth/models/_utils.py
index 1fffc62f81..da912dec76 100644
--- a/unsloth/models/_utils.py
+++ b/unsloth/models/_utils.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-__version__ = "2026.3.13"
+__version__ = "2026.3.14"
 
 __all__ = [
     "SUPPORTS_BFLOAT16",