diff --git a/overlays/cross.nix b/overlays/cross.nix
index 75d2ed2dc..73c1bb144 100644
--- a/overlays/cross.nix
+++ b/overlays/cross.nix
@@ -382,31 +382,28 @@ in with final; {
   mepo = (prev.mepo.override {
     # nixpkgs mepo correctly puts `zig_0_13.hook` in nativeBuildInputs,
     # but for some reason that tries to use the host zig instead of the build zig.
-    zig_0_13 = buildPackages.zig_0_13;
+    zig_0_14 = buildPackages.zig_0_14;
   }).overrideAttrs (upstream: {
-    dontUseZigCheck = true;
     nativeBuildInputs = upstream.nativeBuildInputs ++ [
       # zig hardcodes the /lib/ld-linux.so interpreter which breaks nix dynamic linking & dep tracking.
       # this shouldn't have to be buildPackages.autoPatchelfHook...
       # but without specifying `buildPackages` the host coreutils ends up on the builder's path and breaks things
       buildPackages.autoPatchelfHook
-      # zig hard-codes `pkg-config` inside lib/std/build.zig
-      (buildPackages.writeShellScriptBin "pkg-config" ''
-        exec $PKG_CONFIG $@
-      '')
     ];
     postPatch = (upstream.postPatch or "") + ''
       substituteInPlace src/sdlshim.zig \
         --replace-fail 'cInclude("SDL2/SDL2_gfxPrimitives.h")' 'cInclude("SDL2_gfxPrimitives.h")' \
         --replace-fail 'cInclude("SDL2/SDL_image.h")' 'cInclude("SDL_image.h")' \
         --replace-fail 'cInclude("SDL2/SDL_ttf.h")' 'cInclude("SDL_ttf.h")'
-      substituteInPlace build.zig \
-        --replace-fail 'step.linkSystemLibrary("curl")' 'step.linkSystemLibrary("libcurl")'
-    '';
-    # skip the mepo -docman self-documenting invocation
-    postInstall = ''
-      install -d $out/share/man/man1
     '';
+    # fix the self-documenting build of share/doc/mepo/documentation.md
+    postInstall = lib.replaceStrings
+      [ "$out/bin/mepo " ]
+      [ "${stdenv.hostPlatform.emulator buildPackages} $out/bin/mepo " ]
+      ''
+        autoPatchelf "$out"
+        ${upstream.postInstall}
+      '';
     # optional `zig build` debugging flags:
     # - --verbose
     # - --verbose-cimport
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/gps-share/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/gps-share/package.nix
index ee034b03d..e261fc5a2 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/gps-share/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/gps-share/package.nix
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ rustPlatform.buildRustPackage {
   };
 
   cargoHash = "sha256-WhYHFaSZfnlEmlXFLj7BIt0agMFuz07LcAXJ9ZOOrvY=";
-  useFetchCargoVendor = true;
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [
     pkg-config
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/mslicer/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/mslicer/package.nix
index a54f64a23..150f94349 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/mslicer/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/mslicer/package.nix
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ rustPlatform.buildRustPackage {
   };
 
   cargoHash = "sha256-A7C+wE5XGGQRTYq85YbVk6iKJETZjA9E08c0tKXdSMw=";
-  useFetchCargoVendor = true;
 
   buildInputs = [
     libglvnd
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/master.nix b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/master.nix
index c3efc75c1..1b05bc09d 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/master.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/master.nix
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
   mkNixpkgs ? import ./mkNixpkgs.nix {},
 }:
 mkNixpkgs {
-  rev = "05a22cc578529bcb1adc94dc17cbdad480b7ebfb";
-  sha256 = "sha256-XluabdLGya5GB5tiNHVC+EfNNZoY2oSpwYeOyP/XsJk=";
-  version = "unstable-2025-07-26";
+  rev = "f94d02af657f4714e228f5071c7ac19802841d63";
+  sha256 = "sha256-SAbQXwRvIuk81XNTpQwwannWRaGZfKZvBgKYGYh4C60=";
+  version = "unstable-2025-07-27";
   branch = "master";
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/staging.nix b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/staging.nix
index 7d48d9643..01bc383ac 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/staging.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/nixpkgs-bootstrap/staging.nix
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
   mkNixpkgs ? import ./mkNixpkgs.nix {},
 }:
 mkNixpkgs {
-  rev = "5c41ddb7eec1198de3e0adc9e39e8b63d5fb2863";
-  sha256 = "sha256-6Uoh3+UGr/u4OdWooiP6EZqkzidtdB3x1lbwWyd0tRw=";
-  version = "unstable-2025-07-26";
+  rev = "b72dfdf5d87e1ad9a8982d9ccc77abffb6e177fb";
+  sha256 = "sha256-ZYz2mvyIlsjqPNvzp10sGM+7figA//6roaj6ugotRDU=";
+  version = "unstable-2025-07-27";
   branch = "staging";
 }
diff --git a/templates/pkgs/rust/default.nix b/templates/pkgs/rust/default.nix
index 08db5e120..2ee59e48f 100644
--- a/templates/pkgs/rust/default.nix
+++ b/templates/pkgs/rust/default.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ rustPlatform.buildRustPackage rec {
   };
 
   cargoHash = "sha256-Dc+SuLwbLFcNSr9RiNSc7dgisBOvOUEIDR8dFAkC/O0=";
-  useFetchCargoVendor = true;
 
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "TODO: FILLME";