diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/services/knowledge.py b/src/fabledassistant/services/knowledge.py
index 753a9c9..1e0e48b 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/services/knowledge.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/services/knowledge.py
@@ -68,7 +68,10 @@ def _apply_type_filter(stmt, note_type: str | None):
 
     'task' = any task (status not null); 'plan' = a task with task_kind='plan';
     any other non-empty type = a non-task note of that note_type; None = all.
+
+    Trashed rows (deleted_at set) are always excluded.
     """
+    stmt = stmt.where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
     if note_type == "task":
         return stmt.where(Note.status.isnot(None))
     if note_type == "plan":
@@ -173,6 +176,8 @@ async def _semantic_knowledge_search(
             is_task=is_task_filter,
         )
         for _score, note in candidates:
+            if note.deleted_at is not None:
+                continue
             if note_type == "task" and not note.is_task:
                 continue
             elif note_type == "plan" and (not note.is_task or note.task_kind != "plan"):
@@ -223,6 +228,7 @@ async def get_knowledge_counts(user_id: int, tags: list[str] | None = None) -> d
             select(Note.note_type, func.count(Note.id))
             .where(Note.user_id == user_id)
             .where(Note.status.is_(None))
+            .where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
             .where(Note.note_type.in_(["note", "person", "place", "list"]))
             .group_by(Note.note_type)
         )
@@ -237,6 +243,7 @@ async def get_knowledge_counts(user_id: int, tags: list[str] | None = None) -> d
             select(func.count(Note.id))
             .where(Note.user_id == user_id)
             .where(Note.status.isnot(None))
+            .where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
         )
         if tags:
             for tag in tags:
@@ -251,6 +258,7 @@ async def get_knowledge_counts(user_id: int, tags: list[str] | None = None) -> d
             .where(Note.user_id == user_id)
             .where(Note.status.isnot(None))
             .where(Note.task_kind == "plan")
+            .where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
         )
         if tags:
             for tag in tags:
@@ -314,6 +322,7 @@ async def get_knowledge_by_ids(user_id: int, ids: list[int]) -> list[dict]:
             select(Note)
             .where(Note.user_id == user_id)
             .where(Note.id.in_(ids))
+            .where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
         )
         rows = list((await session.execute(stmt)).scalars().all())
     by_id = {n.id: n for n in rows}
@@ -328,6 +337,7 @@ async def get_people_and_places_context(user_id: int) -> str:
             .where(Note.user_id == user_id)
             .where(Note.note_type.in_(["person", "place"]))
             .where(Note.status.is_(None))
+            .where(Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
             .order_by(Note.title.asc())
             .limit(50)
         )
diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/services/notes.py b/src/fabledassistant/services/notes.py
index 4ef525f..907d1da 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/services/notes.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/services/notes.py
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ async def create_note(
 async def get_note(user_id: int, note_id: int) -> Note | None:
     async with async_session() as session:
         result = await session.execute(
-            select(Note).where(Note.id == note_id, Note.user_id == user_id)
+            select(Note).where(
+                Note.id == note_id, Note.user_id == user_id, Note.deleted_at.is_(None)
+            )
         )
         return result.scalars().first()
 
@@ -135,8 +137,10 @@ async def list_notes(
     offset: int = 0,
 ) -> tuple[list[Note], int]:
     async with async_session() as session:
-        query = select(Note).where(Note.user_id == user_id)
-        count_query = select(func.count(Note.id)).where(Note.user_id == user_id)
+        query = select(Note).where(Note.user_id == user_id, Note.deleted_at.is_(None))
+        count_query = select(func.count(Note.id)).where(
+            Note.user_id == user_id, Note.deleted_at.is_(None)
+        )
 
         # Filter by task vs note
         if is_task is True:
@@ -239,6 +243,7 @@ async def get_note_by_title(user_id: int, title: str) -> Note | None:
             select(Note).where(
                 Note.user_id == user_id,
                 func.lower(Note.title) == func.lower(title.strip()),
+                Note.deleted_at.is_(None),
             ).limit(1)
         )
         return result.scalars().first()
@@ -402,7 +407,9 @@ async def search_notes_for_context(
             pattern = f"%{escaped}%"
             keyword_filters.append(or_(Note.title.ilike(pattern), Note.body.ilike(pattern)))
 
-        query = select(Note).where(Note.user_id == user_id, or_(*keyword_filters))
+        query = select(Note).where(
+            Note.user_id == user_id, or_(*keyword_filters), Note.deleted_at.is_(None)
+        )
         if orphan_only:
             query = query.where(Note.project_id.is_(None))
         elif project_id is not None:
@@ -421,7 +428,9 @@ async def get_notes_by_ids(user_id: int, note_ids: list[int]) -> dict[int, Note]
         return {}
     async with async_session() as session:
         result = await session.execute(
-            select(Note).where(Note.user_id == user_id, Note.id.in_(note_ids))
+            select(Note).where(
+                Note.user_id == user_id, Note.id.in_(note_ids), Note.deleted_at.is_(None)
+            )
         )
         return {n.id: n for n in result.scalars().all()}
 
@@ -444,6 +453,7 @@ async def get_backlinks(user_id: int, note_id: int) -> list[dict]:
             select(Note.id, Note.title, Note.status).where(
                 Note.user_id == user_id,
                 Note.id != note_id,
+                Note.deleted_at.is_(None),
                 or_(Note.body.like(pattern), Note.body.like(pattern_alias)),
             )
         )