diff --git a/frontend/src/views/SearchResults.vue b/frontend/src/views/SearchResults.vue
index 3e3d4b41..41f9985b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/SearchResults.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/SearchResults.vue
@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@
                 <span v-if="result.location" class="result-location">{{ result.location }}</span>
                 <span v-if="result.ticketnumber" class="result-ticket">{{ result.ticketnumber }}</span>
                 <span v-if="result.iscurrent" class="badge badge-success">Active</span>
+                <!-- Retired assets are searchable on purpose (the retire
+                     dialog promises they can be restored, and the search box
+                     is where somebody looks for one). They rank below live
+                     assets and say so, or a retired record looks like a
+                     current one. -->
+                <span v-if="result.retired" class="badge badge-secondary">retired</span>
               </div>
             </div>
             <button
diff --git a/plugins/computers/frontend/views/PCForm.vue b/plugins/computers/frontend/views/PCForm.vue
index 90c374b2..ab141dcc 100644
--- a/plugins/computers/frontend/views/PCForm.vue
+++ b/plugins/computers/frontend/views/PCForm.vue
@@ -163,6 +163,27 @@
               override that.
             </small>
           </div>
+
+          <div class="form-group">
+            <!-- The PC detail page has always rendered a Business Unit row,
+                 and the API has always accepted the field - only the form had
+                 no control, so it could be seen and never set from the UI. -->
+            <label for="businessunitid">Business Unit</label>
+            <select
+              id="businessunitid"
+              v-model="form.businessunitid"
+              class="form-control"
+            >
+              <option value="">Select business unit...</option>
+              <option
+                v-for="bu in businessunits"
+                :key="bu.businessunitid"
+                :value="bu.businessunitid"
+              >
+                {{ bu.businessunit }}
+              </option>
+            </select>
+          </div>
         </div>
 
         <div class="form-row">
@@ -374,7 +395,7 @@
 import { ref, onMounted, computed, watch } from 'vue'
 import { useRoute, useRouter } from 'vue-router'
 import { computersApi, assetsApi, vendorsApi, locationsApi, modelsApi, operatingsystemsApi,
-  printersApi, relationshipTypesApi } from '@/api'
+  printersApi, relationshipTypesApi, businessunitsApi } from '@/api'
 import ShopFloorMap from '@/components/ShopFloorMap.vue'
 import { loadMapConfig, levelOptions, levelName, state as mapConfig }
   from '@/composables/mapConfig'
@@ -488,6 +509,7 @@ function setProtocolPort(protocolid, value) {
 const vendors = ref([])
 const models = ref([])
 const locations = ref([])
+const businessunits = ref([])
 const operatingsystems = ref([])
 
 
@@ -541,14 +563,16 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   try {
     // Load reference data
     // perpage 100 so dropdowns aren't truncated to the default 20-row page
-    const [ptRes, statusRes, vendorRes, allModels, locRes, osRes, protoRes] = await Promise.all([
+    const [ptRes, statusRes, vendorRes, allModels, locRes, osRes, protoRes,
+           allBusinessUnits] = await Promise.all([
       computersApi.types.list({ perpage: 100 }),
       assetsApi.statuses.list(),
-      vendorsApi.list({ perpage: 100 }),
+      vendorsApi.listAll(),
       modelsApi.listAll({ category: 'PC' }),  // backend caps perpage at 100; page through all
       locationsApi.listAll(),  // backend caps perpage at 100; page through all
       operatingsystemsApi.list({ perpage: 100 }),
       computersApi.protocols.list(),
+      businessunitsApi.listAll(),
       // Handles its own failure: a site without printers still gets a form.
     ])
 
@@ -559,6 +583,7 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     locations.value = locRes || []
     operatingsystems.value = osRes.data.data || []
     protocols.value = protoRes.data.data || []
+    businessunits.value = allBusinessUnits || []
 
     // Load PC if editing (asset-based shape: extension under pc.computer)
     if (isEdit.value) {
@@ -586,6 +611,7 @@ onMounted(async () => {
         // machine, and saving wrote it back as the PC's own - so an edit that
         // never touched location silently stopped the PC following its parent.
         locationid: pc.ownlocationid || '',
+        businessunitid: pc.businessunitid || '',
         osid: ext.osid || '',
         loggedinuser: ext.loggedinuser || '',
         azuredeviceid: ext.azuredeviceid || '',
@@ -664,6 +690,7 @@ async function savePC() {
       vendorid: form.value.vendorid || null,
       modelnumberid: form.value.modelnumberid || null,
       locationid: form.value.locationid || null,
+      businessunitid: form.value.businessunitid || null,
       osid: form.value.osid || null,
       loggedinuser: form.value.loggedinuser || null,
       azuredeviceid: form.value.azuredeviceid || null,
diff --git a/shopdb/core/api/search.py b/shopdb/core/api/search.py
index 3f9d7c3d..39d95412 100644
--- a/shopdb/core/api/search.py
+++ b/shopdb/core/api/search.py
@@ -244,6 +244,18 @@ def _get_asset_result(asset, query, relevance=None):
     if relevance is None:
         relevance = 15
 
+    # A retired asset never outranks a live one, whatever it matched on: the
+    # person searching almost always wants the machine that is still on the
+    # floor. Flagged too, so the result can say so rather than looking like any
+    # other hit.
+    # getattr, because this builder is also called with lightweight
+    # stand-ins that carry only the fields a result needs. An object that does
+    # not say is treated as live, which is the safe direction: a live asset
+    # ranked correctly beats a live asset buried as retired.
+    retired = getattr(asset, 'isactive', True) is False
+    if retired:
+        relevance = max(1, relevance - 60)
+
     return {
         'type': asset_type_name,
         'id': result_id,
@@ -251,7 +263,8 @@ def _get_asset_result(asset, query, relevance=None):
         'subtitle': subtitle,
         'location': location_name,
         'url': url,
-        'relevance': relevance
+        'relevance': relevance,
+        'retired': retired
     }
 
 
@@ -499,11 +512,17 @@ def _search_assets(query, search_term):
             joinedload(Asset.assettype),
             joinedload(Asset.location),
         ).filter(
-            Asset.isactive == True,
+            # Retired assets are INCLUDED, and ranked below live ones. Retire
+            # is a soft delete whose confirm dialog promises the record can be
+            # restored - and the one place somebody looks for a machine they
+            # retired last month is the search box. Excluding them meant the
+            # record existed, was reachable by URL, and could not be found by
+            # anybody who did not already know where it was.
             _word_match(query, Asset.assetnumber, Asset.name,
                         Asset.serialnumber, Asset.notes,
                         Asset.gaugelabreference, Asset.maintenancereference)
-        ).order_by(Asset.assetnumber, Asset.assetid).limit(15).all()
+        ).order_by(Asset.isactive.desc(), Asset.assetnumber,
+                   Asset.assetid).limit(15).all()
 
         for asset in assets:
             relevance = 15
diff --git a/tests/test_core/test_search_retired.py b/tests/test_core/test_search_retired.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c0991bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_core/test_search_retired.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""A retired asset has to be findable, and must never outrank a live one.
+
+Retire is a soft delete: the confirm dialog promises history is kept and the
+record can be restored. Global search excluded inactive assets, so the record
+existed, was reachable by URL, and could not be found by anybody who did not
+already know where it was - including whoever wanted to restore it.
+
+Including them is only safe with the ordering: somebody searching a machine
+number almost always wants the machine still on the floor, so a retired match
+is pushed below every live one and flagged, rather than being mixed in
+indistinguishably.
+"""
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def assets(db):
+    from shopdb.core.models import Asset, AssetType
+
+    assettype = AssetType(assettype='machine')
+    db.session.add(assettype)
+    db.session.flush()
+
+    live = Asset(assetnumber='SR-1000', name='Live grinder',
+                 assettypeid=assettype.assettypeid)
+    gone = Asset(assetnumber='SR-1001', name='Retired grinder',
+                 assettypeid=assettype.assettypeid, isactive=False)
+    db.session.add_all([live, gone])
+    db.session.commit()
+    return live, gone
+
+
+def _search(client, headers, term):
+    response = client.get('/api/search?q=%s' % term, headers=headers)
+    assert response.status_code == 200, response.get_json()
+    payload = response.get_json()['data']
+    return payload.get('results', payload if isinstance(payload, list) else [])
+
+
+def test_a_retired_asset_can_be_found(client, db, auth_headers, assets):
+    _live, gone = assets
+
+    titles = [r['title'] for r in _search(client, auth_headers, 'SR-1001')]
+    assert any('Retired grinder' in title or 'SR-1001' in title
+               for title in titles), titles
+
+
+def test_a_retired_result_says_it_is_retired(client, db, auth_headers, assets):
+    results = _search(client, auth_headers, 'SR-1001')
+    match = next(r for r in results
+                 if 'SR-1001' in (r['title'] + (r.get('subtitle') or '')))
+    assert match['retired'] is True
+
+
+def test_a_live_asset_outranks_a_retired_one(client, db, auth_headers, assets):
+    """Both match 'grinder'; the one still on the floor comes first."""
+    results = [r for r in _search(client, auth_headers, 'grinder')
+               if r.get('retired') is not None]
+    assert len(results) >= 2, results
+
+    live = next(r for r in results if not r['retired'])
+    retired = next(r for r in results if r['retired'])
+    assert live['relevance'] > retired['relevance'], (live, retired)
+
+
+def test_a_live_asset_is_not_flagged(client, db, auth_headers, assets):
+    results = _search(client, auth_headers, 'SR-1000')
+    match = next(r for r in results if 'SR-1000' in (r['title'] + (r.get('subtitle') or '')))
+    assert match['retired'] is False