diff --git a/mostlyai/engine/_language/training.py b/mostlyai/engine/_language/training.py
index b86c813e..57fef09a 100644
--- a/mostlyai/engine/_language/training.py
+++ b/mostlyai/engine/_language/training.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 from huggingface_hub import get_safetensors_metadata
 from opacus import GradSampleModule, PrivacyEngine
 from opacus.accountants import GaussianAccountant, PRVAccountant, RDPAccountant
-from opacus.grad_sample import register_grad_sampler
+from opacus.grad_sample import GradSampleHooks, register_grad_sampler
 from opacus.utils.batch_memory_manager import wrap_data_loader
 from peft import LoraConfig, PeftModel
 from torch import nn
@@ -626,6 +626,7 @@ def concat_prompt_and_response(x):
             # this can help accelerate GPU compute
             torch.backends.cudnn.benchmark = True
 
+        dp_grad_sample_hooks: GradSampleHooks | None = None
         if with_dp:
             if isinstance(differential_privacy, DifferentialPrivacyConfig):
                 dp_config = differential_privacy.model_dump()
@@ -650,18 +651,21 @@ def concat_prompt_and_response(x):
                 privacy_engine.accountant.load_state_dict(
                     torch.load(workspace.model_dp_accountant_path, map_location=device, weights_only=True),
                 )
-            # Opacus will return the modified objects
-            # - model: wrapped in GradSampleModule and contains additional hooks for computing per-sample gradients
-            # - optimizer: wrapped in DPOptimizer and will do different operations during virtual steps and logical steps
-            # - dataloader: the dataloader with batch_sampler=UniformWithReplacementSampler (for Poisson sampling)
-            model, optimizer, trn_dataloader = privacy_engine.make_private(
+            # Opacus returns GradSampleHooks when wrap_model=False: hooks attach to the original module so HF /
+            # Transformers sees an unwrapped PreTrainedModel (requires Opacus >= 1.6).
+            # - dp_grad_sample_hooks: must call .cleanup() after training to remove backward hooks and param attrs
+            # - optimizer: wrapped in DPOptimizer (virtual vs logical steps)
+            # - dataloader: UniformWithReplacementSampler when poisson_sampling=True
+            dp_grad_sample_hooks, optimizer, trn_dataloader = privacy_engine.make_private(
                 module=model,
                 optimizer=optimizer,
                 data_loader=trn_dataloader,
                 noise_multiplier=dp_config.get("noise_multiplier"),
                 max_grad_norm=dp_config.get("max_grad_norm"),
                 poisson_sampling=True,
+                wrap_model=False,
             )
+            model = dp_grad_sample_hooks._module
             # this further wraps the dataloader with batch_sampler=BatchSplittingSampler to achieve gradient accumulation
             # it will split the sampled logical batches into smaller sub-batches with batch_size
             trn_dataloader = wrap_data_loader(
@@ -835,6 +839,9 @@ def concat_prompt_and_response(x):
             if total_training_time > max_training_time:
                 do_stop = True
 
+        if dp_grad_sample_hooks is not None:
+            dp_grad_sample_hooks.cleanup()
+
         # no checkpoint is saved yet because the training stopped before the first epoch ended
         if not model_checkpoint.has_saved_once():
             _LOG.info("saving model weights, as none were saved so far")