diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/res/res_partner.py b/openerp/addons/base/res/res_partner.py
index 16ba66babd2..9ccd595e98a 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/res/res_partner.py
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/res/res_partner.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class res_partner(osv.osv, format_address):
         'date': fields.date('Date', select=1),
         'title': fields.many2one('res.partner.title', 'Title'),
         'parent_id': fields.many2one('res.partner', 'Related Company'),
-        'child_ids': fields.one2many('res.partner', 'parent_id', 'Contacts'),
+        'child_ids': fields.one2many('res.partner', 'parent_id', 'Contacts', domain=[('active','=',True)]), # force "active_test" domain to bypass _search() override    
         'ref': fields.char('Reference', size=64, select=1),
         'lang': fields.selection(_lang_get, 'Language',
             help="If the selected language is loaded in the system, all documents related to this contact will be printed in this language. If not, it will be English."),
@@ -568,6 +568,15 @@ class res_partner(osv.osv, format_address):
         rec_id = self.create(cr, uid, {self._rec_name: name or email, 'email': email or False}, context=context)
         return self.name_get(cr, uid, [rec_id], context)[0]
 
+    def _search(self, cr, user, args, offset=0, limit=None, order=None, context=None, count=False, access_rights_uid=None):
+        """ Override search() to always show inactive children when searching via ``child_of`` operator. The ORM will
+        always call search() with a simple domain of the form [('parent_id', 'in', [ids])]. """
+        # a special ``domain`` is set on the ``child_ids`` o2m to bypass this logic, as it uses similar domain expressions
+        if len(args) == 1 and len(args[0]) == 3 and args[0][:2] == ('parent_id','in'):
+            context = dict(context or {}, active_test=False)
+        return super(res_partner, self)._search(cr, user, args, offset=offset, limit=limit, order=order, context=context,
+                                                count=count, access_rights_uid=access_rights_uid)
+
     def name_search(self, cr, uid, name, args=None, operator='ilike', context=None, limit=100):
         if not args:
             args = []