diff --git a/.changeset/kind-candies-float.md b/.changeset/kind-candies-float.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4f7b86391e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/kind-candies-float.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"shadcn": patch
+---
+
+Fix: skip all transforms for universal registry items
diff --git a/packages/shadcn/src/utils/updaters/update-files.ts b/packages/shadcn/src/utils/updaters/update-files.ts
index f9c7133441..ddd00e6a43 100644
--- a/packages/shadcn/src/utils/updaters/update-files.ts
+++ b/packages/shadcn/src/utils/updaters/update-files.ts
@@ -124,30 +124,35 @@ export async function updateFiles(
 
     // Run our transformers.
     // Skip transformers for .env files to preserve exact content
-    const content = isEnvFile(filePath)
-      ? file.content
-      : await transform(
-          {
-            filename: file.path,
-            raw: file.content,
-            config,
-            baseColor,
-            transformJsx: !config.tsx,
-            isRemote: options.isRemote,
-          },
-          [
-            transformImport,
-            transformRsc,
-            transformCssVars,
-            transformTwPrefixes,
-            transformIcons,
-            transformMenu,
-            transformAsChild,
-            ...(_isNext16Middleware(filePath, projectInfo, config)
-              ? [transformNext]
-              : []),
-          ]
-        )
+    // Skip transformers for universal item files (registry:file and registry:item)
+    // to preserve their original content as they're meant to be framework-agnostic
+    const isUniversalItemFile =
+      file.type === "registry:file" || file.type === "registry:item"
+    const content =
+      isEnvFile(filePath) || isUniversalItemFile
+        ? file.content
+        : await transform(
+            {
+              filename: file.path,
+              raw: file.content,
+              config,
+              baseColor,
+              transformJsx: !config.tsx,
+              isRemote: options.isRemote,
+            },
+            [
+              transformImport,
+              transformRsc,
+              transformCssVars,
+              transformTwPrefixes,
+              transformIcons,
+              transformMenu,
+              transformAsChild,
+              ...(_isNext16Middleware(filePath, projectInfo, config)
+                ? [transformNext]
+                : []),
+            ]
+          )
 
     // Skip the file if it already exists and the content is the same.
     // Exception: Don't skip .env files as we merge content instead of replacing
diff --git a/packages/shadcn/test/utils/updaters/update-files.test.ts b/packages/shadcn/test/utils/updaters/update-files.test.ts
index b9ae549189..8f355f9c7a 100644
--- a/packages/shadcn/test/utils/updaters/update-files.test.ts
+++ b/packages/shadcn/test/utils/updaters/update-files.test.ts
@@ -1526,6 +1526,111 @@ DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost:5432/mydb`,
       }
     `)
   })
+
+  test("should preserve 'use client' directive for universal item files (registry:file)", async () => {
+    const config = await getConfig(
+      path.resolve(__dirname, "../../fixtures/vite-with-tailwind")
+    )
+    const result = await updateFiles(
+      [
+        {
+          path: "custom-component.tsx",
+          type: "registry:file",
+          target: "~/custom-component.tsx",
+          content: `"use client"
+
+export function CustomComponent() {
+  return <div>Custom Component</div>
+}`,
+        },
+      ],
+      config,
+      {
+        overwrite: true,
+        silent: true,
+      }
+    )
+
+    // Verify that the file was created
+    expect(result.filesCreated).toContain("custom-component.tsx")
+
+    // Read the written file and check if 'use client' is preserved
+    const writtenContent = (fs.writeFile as any).mock.calls.find((call: any) =>
+      call[0].endsWith("custom-component.tsx")
+    )?.[1]
+
+    expect(writtenContent).toContain('"use client"')
+  })
+
+  test("should preserve 'use client' directive for universal item files (registry:item)", async () => {
+    const config = await getConfig(
+      path.resolve(__dirname, "../../fixtures/vite-with-tailwind")
+    )
+    const result = await updateFiles(
+      [
+        {
+          path: "universal-widget.tsx",
+          type: "registry:item",
+          target: "~/universal-widget.tsx",
+          content: `'use client'
+
+export function UniversalWidget() {
+  return <div>Universal Widget</div>
+}`,
+        },
+      ],
+      config,
+      {
+        overwrite: true,
+        silent: true,
+      }
+    )
+
+    // Verify that the file was created
+    expect(result.filesCreated).toContain("universal-widget.tsx")
+
+    // Read the written file and check if 'use client' is preserved
+    const writtenContent = (fs.writeFile as any).mock.calls.find((call: any) =>
+      call[0].endsWith("universal-widget.tsx")
+    )?.[1]
+
+    expect(writtenContent).toContain("'use client'")
+  })
+
+  test("should remove 'use client' directive for non-universal item files when rsc is false", async () => {
+    const config = await getConfig(
+      path.resolve(__dirname, "../../fixtures/vite-with-tailwind")
+    )
+    const result = await updateFiles(
+      [
+        {
+          path: "registry/default/ui/regular-component.tsx",
+          type: "registry:ui",
+          content: `"use client"
+
+export function RegularComponent() {
+  return <div>Regular Component</div>
+}`,
+        },
+      ],
+      config,
+      {
+        overwrite: true,
+        silent: true,
+      }
+    )
+
+    // Verify that the file was created (filesCreated contains relative paths)
+    expect(result.filesCreated.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+
+    // Read the written file and check if 'use client' was removed
+    const writtenContent = (fs.writeFile as any).mock.calls.find((call: any) =>
+      call[0].endsWith("regular-component.tsx")
+    )?.[1]
+
+    // The 'use client' should be removed by the RSC transformer
+    expect(writtenContent).not.toContain('"use client"')
+  })
 })
 
 describe("resolveModuleByProbablePath", () => {