diff --git a/app/controllers/distributions_controller.rb b/app/controllers/distributions_controller.rb
index ffc3711da6..2aaea795e1 100644
--- a/app/controllers/distributions_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/distributions_controller.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def index
                      .includes(:partner, :storage_location)
                      .class_filter(scope_filters)
     @paginated_distributions = @distributions.page(params[:page])
-    @items = current_organization.items.alphabetized.select(:id, :name)
+    @items = current_organization.items.active.alphabetized.select(:id, :name)
     @item_categories = current_organization.item_categories.select(:id, :name)
     @storage_locations = current_organization.storage_locations.active_locations.alphabetized.select(:id, :name)
     @partners = current_organization.partners.active.alphabetized.select(:id, :name)
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def create
       elsif request_id
         @distribution.initialize_request_items
       end
-      @items = current_organization.items.alphabetized
+      @items = current_organization.items.active.alphabetized
       @partner_list = current_organization.partners.where.not(status: 'deactivated').alphabetized
 
       inventory = View::Inventory.new(@distribution.organization_id)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ def new
       @distribution.line_items.build
       @distribution.copy_from_donation(params[:donation_id], params[:storage_location_id])
     end
-    @items = current_organization.items.alphabetized
+    @items = current_organization.items.active.alphabetized
     @partner_list = current_organization.partners.where.not(status: 'deactivated').alphabetized
 
     inventory = View::Inventory.new(current_organization.id)
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def edit
     if (!@distribution.complete? && @distribution.future?) ||
         current_user.has_role?(Role::ORG_ADMIN, current_organization)
       @distribution.line_items.build if @distribution.line_items.size.zero?
-      @items = current_organization.items.alphabetized
+      @items = current_organization.items.active.alphabetized
       @partner_list = current_organization.partners.alphabetized
       @audit_warning = current_organization.audits
         .where(storage_location_id: @distribution.storage_location_id)
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def update
       flash[:error] = insufficient_error_message(result.error.message)
       @distribution.line_items.build if @distribution.line_items.size.zero?
       @distribution.initialize_request_items
-      @items = current_organization.items.alphabetized
+      @items = current_organization.items.active.alphabetized
       @storage_locations = current_organization.storage_locations.active_locations.alphabetized
       render :edit
     end
diff --git a/app/models/distribution.rb b/app/models/distribution.rb
index 1d11c25d7b..08b6fdbb29 100644
--- a/app/models/distribution.rb
+++ b/app/models/distribution.rb
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class Distribution < ApplicationRecord
 
   enum state: { scheduled: 5, complete: 10 }
   enum delivery_method: { pick_up: 0, delivery: 1, shipped: 2 }
-  scope :active, -> { joins(:line_items).joins(:items).where(items: { active: true }) }
   # add item_id scope to allow filtering distributions by item
   scope :by_item_id, ->(item_id) { includes(:items).where(items: { id: item_id }) }
   # partner scope to allow filtering by partner
diff --git a/spec/requests/distributions_requests_spec.rb b/spec/requests/distributions_requests_spec.rb
index 0f0d15a3a3..bf5934184d 100644
--- a/spec/requests/distributions_requests_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/distributions_requests_spec.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     end
 
     describe "GET #index" do
-      let(:item) { create(:item, value_in_cents: 100, organization: organization) }
+      let(:item) { create(:item, name: "Active Item", value_in_cents: 100, organization: organization) }
       let!(:distribution) { create(:distribution, :with_items, :past, item: item, item_quantity: 10, organization: organization) }
 
       it "returns http success" do
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@
         expect(response.body).not_to match(/Has Inactive Items/)
       end
 
+      it "renders only active items in dropdown" do
+        create(:item, :inactive, organization: organization, name: 'Inactive Item')
+
+        get distributions_path
+        page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+
+        selectable_items = page.at_css("select[name='filters\[by_item_id\]']").text.split("\n")
+
+        expect(selectable_items).to include("Active Item")
+        expect(selectable_items).not_to include("Inactive Item")
+      end
+
       context "with a disabled item" do
         before do
           item.update(active: false)
@@ -233,6 +245,20 @@
         expect(response).to have_error
       end
 
+      it "renders #new on failure with only active items in dropdown" do
+        create(:item, organization: organization, name: 'Active Item')
+        create(:item, :inactive, organization: organization, name: 'Inactive Item')
+
+        post distributions_path(distribution: { comment: nil, partner_id: nil, storage_location_id: nil }, format: :turbo_stream)
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(400)
+
+        page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+        selectable_items = page.at_css("select.line_item_name").text.split("\n")
+
+        expect(selectable_items).to include("Active Item")
+        expect(selectable_items).not_to include("Inactive Item")
+      end
+
       context "Deactivated partners should not be displayed in partner dropdown" do
         before do
           create(:partner, name: 'Active Partner', organization: organization, status: "approved")
@@ -275,6 +301,18 @@
         expect(page.css('#distribution_storage_location_id option[selected]')).to be_empty
       end
 
+      it "should only show active items in item dropdown" do
+        create(:item, :inactive, organization: organization, name: 'Inactive Item')
+
+        get new_distribution_path(default_params)
+
+        page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+        selectable_items = page.at_css("select#barcode_item_barcodeable_id").text.split("\n")
+
+        expect(selectable_items).to include("Item 1", "Item 2")
+        expect(selectable_items).not_to include("Inactive Item")
+      end
+
       context "with org default but no partner default" do
         it "selects org default" do
           organization.update!(default_storage_location: storage_location.id)
@@ -572,6 +610,19 @@
         expect(response.body).to include("Active Partner")
       end
 
+      it "should only show active items in item dropdown" do
+        create(:item, organization: organization, name: 'Active Item')
+        create(:item, :inactive, organization: organization, name: 'Inactive Item')
+
+        get edit_distribution_path(id: distribution.id)
+
+        page = Nokogiri::HTML(response.body)
+        selectable_items = page.at_css("select#barcode_item_barcodeable_id").text.split("\n")
+
+        expect(selectable_items).to include("Active Item")
+        expect(selectable_items).not_to include("Inactive Item")
+      end
+
       context 'with units' do
         let!(:request) {
           create(:request,