diff --git a/manifest.yml b/manifest.yml
index 038923f4..482acfa2 100644
--- a/manifest.yml
+++ b/manifest.yml
@@ -77,18 +77,18 @@ dependencies:
   uri: https://buildpacks.cloudfoundry.org/dependencies/pip/pip_25.2_linux_noarch_any-stack_7dc1e988.tgz
   sha256: 7dc1e9882eb18f53150261c3a0cde7d5a39cdb18843c930ee01db8582f6b4f27
   cf_stacks:
-  - cflinuxfs5
-  - cflinuxfs4
   - cflinuxfs3
   source: https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/20/16/650289cd3f43d5a2fadfd98c68bd1e1e7f2550a1a5326768cddfbcedb2c5/pip-25.2.tar.gz
   source_sha256: 578283f006390f85bb6282dffb876454593d637f5d1be494b5202ce4877e71f2
 - name: pip
-  version: 26.0.1
-  uri: https://buildpacks.cloudfoundry.org/dependencies/pip/pip_26.0.1_linux_noarch_any-stack_0750a38b.tgz
-  sha256: 0750a38b65c6038a0415a4ff15ef2df61fcaa6c1e5ec9d8c6678222dbac91306
-  cf_stacks: []
-  source: https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/48/83/0d7d4e9efe3344b8e2fe25d93be44f64b65364d3c8d7bc6dc90198d5422e/pip-26.0.1.tar.gz
-  source_sha256: c4037d8a277c89b320abe636d59f91e6d0922d08a05b60e85e53b296613346d8
+  version: 26.1.2
+  uri: https://buildpacks.cloudfoundry.org/dependencies/pip/pip_26.1.2_linux_noarch_cflinuxfs4_fc4720c5.tgz
+  sha256: fc4720c52cf407083abdb3a6375a3beb29ae6b68f650ed086d25dab4f24d3860
+  cf_stacks:
+  - cflinuxfs4
+  - cflinuxfs5
+  source: https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/01/91/47e7d486260f618783899587af63ccf7980fb60245c3e63dd4571c6b57ad/pip-26.1.2.tar.gz
+  source_sha256: f49cd134c61cf2fd75e0ce2676db03e4054504a5a4986d00f8299ae632dc4605
 - name: pipenv
   version: 2024.4.1
   uri: https://buildpacks.cloudfoundry.org/dependencies/pipenv/pipenv_2024.4.1_linux_noarch_cflinuxfs3_b3c74c78.tgz
diff --git a/src/python/supply/supply.go b/src/python/supply/supply.go
index 44cb9499..6bc7d77b 100644
--- a/src/python/supply/supply.go
+++ b/src/python/supply/supply.go
@@ -341,6 +341,19 @@ func (s *Supplier) InstallPip() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// pip 26+ requires flit-core as a build dependency
+	// We need to install it into the Python environment, not just extract it
+	if err := s.Installer.InstallOnlyVersion("flit-core", tempPath); err == nil {
+		// flit-core found - install it so pip can use it as a build backend
+		// Use "python -m pip" directly since pip isn't in PATH yet
+		s.Log.Info("Installing flit-core (required for pip 26+)")
+		if err := s.Command.Execute(s.Stager.BuildDir(), indentWriter(os.Stdout), indentWriter(os.Stderr),
+			"python", "-m", "pip", "install", tempPath, "--no-build-isolation"); err != nil {
+			s.Log.Warning("Could not install flit-core: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+	// If flit-core not found (e.g., cflinuxfs3), silently continue
+
 	if err := s.Command.Execute(s.Stager.BuildDir(), indentWriter(os.Stdout), indentWriter(os.Stderr),
 		"python",
 		"-m", "pip",
diff --git a/src/python/supply/supply_test.go b/src/python/supply/supply_test.go
index a8d15d41..9e1cc5b8 100644
--- a/src/python/supply/supply_test.go
+++ b/src/python/supply/supply_test.go
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Supply", func() {
 
 			It("installs latest from manifest", func() {
 				mockInstaller.EXPECT().InstallOnlyVersion("pip", "/tmp/pip")
+				mockInstaller.EXPECT().InstallOnlyVersion("flit-core", "/tmp/pip")
+				mockCommand.EXPECT().Execute(buildDir, gomock.Any(), gomock.Any(), "python", "-m", "pip", "install", "/tmp/pip", "--no-build-isolation")
 				mockCommand.EXPECT().Execute(buildDir, gomock.Any(), gomock.Any(), "python", "-m", "pip", "install", "pip", "--exists-action=w", "--no-index", "--ignore-installed", "--find-links=/tmp/pip")
 				mockStager.EXPECT().LinkDirectoryInDepDir(filepath.Join(filepath.Join(depDir, "python"), "bin"), "bin")