diff --git a/prisma/migrations/20260825084412_rename_asset_item_status_in_use/migration.sql b/prisma/migrations/20260825084412_rename_asset_item_status_in_use/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b0a50b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prisma/migrations/20260825084412_rename_asset_item_status_in_use/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-- Hand-written (same deviation as other 2026-08-2x migrations -- see CLAUDE.md).
+ALTER TYPE "AssetItemStatus" RENAME VALUE 'assigned' TO 'in_use';
diff --git a/prisma/schema.prisma b/prisma/schema.prisma
index 8ae421d..8083fa2 100644
--- a/prisma/schema.prisma
+++ b/prisma/schema.prisma
@@ -90,10 +90,15 @@ model Employee {
 // 2026-08-25 (ALTER TYPE ... ADD VALUE, not a table -- see the
 // 2026-08-24/25 discussion in CLAUDE.md on why this stays an enum: the
 // values are read directly by business logic, e.g. createAssignment()'s
-// `status !== "in_stock"` gate, not just display labels).
+// `status !== "in_stock"` gate, not just display labels). `assigned`
+// renamed to `in_use` same day (ALTER TYPE ... RENAME VALUE) -- "assigned"
+// implied a specific person always holds it, but createAssignment() only
+// requires in_stock -> the enum value itself, and ~158 real-imported items
+// have this status with no Assignment row at all (shared/unowned
+// equipment) -- "in_use" doesn't carry that false implication.
 enum AssetItemStatus {
   in_stock
-  assigned
+  in_use
   repair
   retired
   lost
@@ -157,7 +162,7 @@ model AssetItem {
   // Nullable: real-world coverage is thin (the ITAM export's own location
   // data was nearly useless -- "Physical location" was the literal string
   // "DAN" for all 613 rows, no per-item detail; only "Stockroom" carried
-  // any signal, and only for the ~71 in_stock items -- an assigned item is
+  // any signal, and only for the ~71 in_stock items -- an in_use item is
   // with a person, not sitting in a stockroom bin, so it has no area here
   // by design, not by data gap).
   areaId             String?              @map("area_id") @db.Uuid
diff --git a/src/app/api/assets/route.ts b/src/app/api/assets/route.ts
index c7e5b7b..60daf8d 100644
--- a/src/app/api/assets/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/assets/route.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export async function GET(request: Request): Promise<NextResponse> {
   const areaId = params.get("areaId") ?? undefined;
   const search = params.get("search") ?? undefined;
 
-  const validStatuses = ["in_stock", "assigned", "repair", "retired", "lost"];
+  const validStatuses = ["in_stock", "in_use", "repair", "retired", "lost"];
   const result = await listAssetItems({
     page,
     pageSize,
diff --git a/src/app/assets/page.tsx b/src/app/assets/page.tsx
index cd72828..2b251ef 100644
--- a/src/app/assets/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/assets/page.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ interface AssetItemRecord {
   model_id: string;
   purchase_date: string | null;
   warranty_end_date: string | null;
-  status: "in_stock" | "assigned" | "repair" | "retired" | "lost";
+  status: "in_stock" | "in_use" | "repair" | "retired" | "lost";
   cost: number | null;
   cost_currency: string | null;
   area_id: string | null;
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ export default function AssetsPage() {
               <SelectContent>
                 <SelectItem value="all">All</SelectItem>
                 <SelectItem value="in_stock">in_stock</SelectItem>
-                <SelectItem value="assigned">assigned</SelectItem>
+                <SelectItem value="in_use">in_use</SelectItem>
                 <SelectItem value="repair">repair</SelectItem>
                 <SelectItem value="retired">retired</SelectItem>
                 <SelectItem value="lost">lost</SelectItem>
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ export default function AssetsPage() {
           ), <code>purchase date</code> (không bắt buộc -- cũng nhận <code>order received</code>).
           Tuỳ chọn: <code>asset tag</code>, <code>warranty end date</code> (bỏ trống thì tự tính
           từ warranty của model), <code>status</code>/<code>state</code> (nhận{" "}
-          <code>In use</code> → assigned, <code>In stock</code> → in_stock, bỏ trống thì mặc định
+          <code>In use</code> → in_use, <code>In stock</code> → in_stock, bỏ trống thì mặc định
           in_stock), <code>cost</code>, <code>cost currency</code>,{" "}
           <code>po number</code> (text tự do, khác <code>purchase order id</code> là UUID trong
           hệ thống), <code>area</code> (tên khu vực -- tự tạo mới nếu chưa có, cũng nhận{" "}
diff --git a/src/app/maintenance-records/page.tsx b/src/app/maintenance-records/page.tsx
index 2c79e05..e2b04e8 100644
--- a/src/app/maintenance-records/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/maintenance-records/page.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ interface VendorRecord {
 // assetItemStatusValues constant (not re-derived from an API call, this is
 // a closed set already known client-side, same precedent as licenses
 // page's licenseType/perpetual|subscription <Select>).
-const ASSET_ITEM_STATUS_VALUES = ["in_stock", "assigned", "repair", "retired"] as const;
+const ASSET_ITEM_STATUS_VALUES = ["in_stock", "in_use", "repair", "retired"] as const;
 
 // Radix <Select.Item> can't take an empty-string value, so "no vendor" is
 // represented by this sentinel in the form state and translated to "omit
diff --git a/src/lib/assets.ts b/src/lib/assets.ts
index e63d99f..1ac2bcf 100644
--- a/src/lib/assets.ts
+++ b/src/lib/assets.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { prisma } from "./prisma";
 import { splitCsvLine, splitCsvLines, normalizeHeader, csvField } from "./csv";
 import { createOrGetArea } from "./areas";
 
-export type AssetItemStatus = "in_stock" | "assigned" | "repair" | "retired" | "lost";
+export type AssetItemStatus = "in_stock" | "in_use" | "repair" | "retired" | "lost";
 
 export interface AssetItemRecord {
   id: string;
@@ -526,14 +526,15 @@ export interface ImportAssetItemsResult {
 // Maps free-text status values from a real export (e.g. ServiceNow's
 // "State" column: "In use"/"In stock") onto this app's AssetItemStatus
 // enum -- plus this app's own enum values, in case a re-exported CSV
-// round-trips one back in. "In use" -> "assigned" is a simplification: it
+// round-trips one back in. "In use" -> "in_use" is a simplification: it
 // doesn't require (or create) a matching Assignment row, just reflects
 // that the item is deployed rather than sitting in stock -- see
 // docs/asset-license-management.md's 2026-08-24 section for why linking
 // actual Employee assignments is explicitly out of scope for this import.
 const IMPORT_STATUS_MAP: Record<string, AssetItemStatus> = {
-  "in use": "assigned",
-  assigned: "assigned",
+  "in use": "in_use",
+  in_use: "in_use",
+  assigned: "in_use", // backward-compat: pre-2026-08-25 exports/CSVs said "assigned"
   "in stock": "in_stock",
   in_stock: "in_stock",
   repair: "repair",
@@ -742,7 +743,7 @@ export async function importAssetItems(rows: ImportAssetItemRow[]): Promise<Impo
  * parseAssetItemsCsv() reads -- so "export, edit in Excel, re-import" is a
  * real round trip, not just a one-way dump. `status` round-trips too as of
  * 2026-08-24 (see IMPORT_STATUS_MAP above) -- exported as this app's own
- * enum text ("in_stock"/"assigned"/...), which IMPORT_STATUS_MAP also
+ * enum text ("in_stock"/"in_use"/...), which IMPORT_STATUS_MAP also
  * recognizes on the way back in.
  */
 export async function exportAssetItemsCsv(): Promise<string> {
diff --git a/src/lib/assignments.ts b/src/lib/assignments.ts
index 0d2c14a..96ae3a6 100644
--- a/src/lib/assignments.ts
+++ b/src/lib/assignments.ts
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export type CreateAssignmentResult =
  *   see the doc's "chốt 2026-08-02 (2)" note), rejects if there's already an
  *   ACTIVE Assignment (returnedAt IS NULL) for it (explicit
  *   belt-and-suspenders invariant per the doc, on top of the status check),
- *   then atomically flips AssetItem.status to "assigned".
+ *   then atomically flips AssetItem.status to "in_use".
  * - License branch: rejects if the License doesn't exist, rejects if
  *   seatsUsed >= seatsTotal (no overbooking), then atomically increments
  *   seatsUsed by 1.
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ export type CreateAssignmentResult =
  * `updateMany` with a WHERE guard" pattern instead of a plain read-then-write
  * (`findUnique` then `update`). The WHERE-guarded `updateMany` — e.g.
  * `updateMany({ where: { id, status: "in_stock" }, data: { status:
- * "assigned" } })` — is the actual race-closing mechanism: Postgres
+ * "in_use" } })` — is the actual race-closing mechanism: Postgres
  * evaluates and applies that as a single atomic UPDATE statement, taking a
  * row lock for its duration. Two concurrent transactions racing on the same
  * AssetItem/License row serialize on that lock — the first to commit wins,
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ export type CreateAssignmentResult =
  * is intentionally layered BEFORE the atomic status update, as defense in
  * depth against AssetItem.status/Assignment-row drift (e.g. manual DB
  * intervention) — under normal operation this codebase always keeps
- * `status === "assigned"` in exact sync with "has an active Assignment", so
+ * `status === "in_use"` in exact sync with "has an active Assignment", so
  * the atomic status-guarded `updateMany` above is what actually closes the
  * concurrency race for the AssetItem branch; this check does not need its
  * own atomic guard on top because the transaction's row lock (from the
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ export async function createAssignment(
         // Atomic race-closing gate — see this function's doc comment.
         const statusUpdate = await tx.assetItem.updateMany({
           where: { id: input.assetItemId, status: "in_stock" },
-          data: { status: "assigned" },
+          data: { status: "in_use" },
         });
         if (statusUpdate.count === 0) {
           throw new AssignmentBusinessError(
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ export type TransferAssignmentResult =
  * transfer (no race window for a third party to grab either one mid-transfer
  * — that's the whole point of doing this in one transaction instead of a
  * separate PATCH-return followed by a POST-create, which is exactly the gap
- * this function closes). AssetItem.status stays "assigned" throughout;
+ * this function closes). AssetItem.status stays "in_use" throughout;
  * seatsUsed is net zero (same seat, new holder).
  *
  * Race-condition note: mirrors returnAssignment()'s exact race-closing
diff --git a/src/lib/maintenance-records.ts b/src/lib/maintenance-records.ts
index 1181963..5793626 100644
--- a/src/lib/maintenance-records.ts
+++ b/src/lib/maintenance-records.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ export function validateCreateMaintenanceRecordInput(input: {
 // Closed set of the 2 AssetItemStatus values a maintenance-record close is
 // allowed to land on — deliberately NOT the full 4-value AssetItemStatus
 // enum (see closeMaintenanceRecordSchema's targetStatus comment below for
-// why "assigned"/"repair" are excluded).
+// why "in_use"/"repair" are excluded).
 const closeableTargetStatusValues = ["in_stock", "retired"] as const;
 
 const closeMaintenanceRecordSchema = z.object({
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ const closeMaintenanceRecordSchema = z.object({
   // Restricted to "in_stock" | "retired" only (NOT the full 4-value
   // AssetItemStatus enum) — those are the only two outcomes a repair can
   // actually resolve to (fixed → back to stock, unfixable → write off).
-  // "assigned" is deliberately rejected: setting AssetItem.status to
-  // "assigned" here would NOT create a corresponding Assignment row, so
+  // "in_use" is deliberately rejected: setting AssetItem.status to
+  // "in_use" here would NOT create a corresponding Assignment row, so
   // Assignment (the source of truth for "who currently holds what") and
   // AssetItem.status would go out of sync with no way back — createAssignment()
   // only accepts a "in_stock" AssetItem, and there is no standalone
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ export type CreateMaintenanceRecordResult =
  * (`where: { id: assetItemId, status: "in_stock" }`) rather than a
  * plain read-then-write. Pinning the exact required prior value (not
  * excluding "retired") matters: an excluding guard would still match an
- * item another concurrent transaction just flipped to "assigned" or
+ * item another concurrent transaction just flipped to "in_use" or
  * "repair", letting two concurrent opens (or an open racing an Assignment
  * create) both win. That `updateMany`'s `count` is the actual
  * race-closing gate: two concurrent opens racing on the same AssetItem
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ export async function createMaintenanceRecord(
       // exact prior value ("in_stock") rather than excluding a value
       // ("not retired"), mirroring createAssignment()'s own status guard
       // (src/lib/assignments.ts) — the excluding form would still match an
-      // AssetItem another concurrent transaction just flipped to "assigned"
+      // AssetItem another concurrent transaction just flipped to "in_use"
       // or "repair" (neither equals "retired"), letting two opens (or an
       // open racing an Assignment create) both win.
       const statusUpdate = await tx.assetItem.updateMany({
diff --git a/tests/assets.test.ts b/tests/assets.test.ts
index 2817517..28fbef9 100644
--- a/tests/assets.test.ts
+++ b/tests/assets.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ function postRequest(body: unknown): Request {
   });
 }
 
+// GET /api/assets takes a Request now (2026-08-25, see route.ts) so it can
+// read pagination/filter query params -- query is an optional raw query
+// string (e.g. "status=in_use&page=2"), empty by default.
+function getRequest(query = ""): Request {
+  return new Request(`http://localhost/api/assets${query ? `?${query}` : ""}`);
+}
+
 // AssetItem.purchaseOrderId is a real FK to PurchaseOrder (see
 // schema.prisma / src/lib/assets.ts), and PurchaseOrder.vendorId is a real
 // FK to Vendor — tests that need a valid purchaseOrderId create real rows
@@ -331,23 +338,26 @@ describe("GET /api/assets", () => {
     await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
     await POST(postRequest({ serialNumber: "SN-011", modelId, purchaseDate: "2026-02-01" }));
 
-    const res = await GET();
+    const res = await GET(getRequest());
     expect(res.status).toBe(200);
 
+    // {items, total} now (2026-08-25, see listAssetItems()'s doc comment
+    // in src/lib/assets.ts) -- was a bare array before pagination.
     const body = await res.json();
-    expect(Array.isArray(body)).toBe(true);
-    expect(body).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(Array.isArray(body.items)).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.items).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(body.total).toBe(2);
 
     // newest first
-    expect(body[0]).toMatchObject({ serial_number: "SN-011", model_id: modelId });
-    expect(body[1]).toMatchObject({ serial_number: "SN-010", model_id: modelId });
+    expect(body.items[0]).toMatchObject({ serial_number: "SN-011", model_id: modelId });
+    expect(body.items[1]).toMatchObject({ serial_number: "SN-010", model_id: modelId });
   });
 
   it("returns an empty list when there are no asset items", async () => {
-    const res = await GET();
+    const res = await GET(getRequest());
     expect(res.status).toBe(200);
     const body = await res.json();
-    expect(body).toEqual([]);
+    expect(body).toEqual({ items: [], total: 0 });
   });
 });
 
@@ -375,7 +385,7 @@ describe("auth gating on /api/assets", () => {
   it("GET /api/assets returns 401 without a session", async () => {
     mockedAuth.mockResolvedValue(null);
 
-    const res = await GET();
+    const res = await GET(getRequest());
 
     expect(res.status).toBe(401);
     const body = await res.json();
diff --git a/tests/assignments.test.ts b/tests/assignments.test.ts
index 93f84f3..c7a0e78 100644
--- a/tests/assignments.test.ts
+++ b/tests/assignments.test.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ async function createTestModelId(): Promise<string> {
 }
 
 let serialCounter = 0;
-function createTestAssetItem(overrides: { modelId: string; status?: "in_stock" | "assigned" | "repair" | "retired" }) {
+function createTestAssetItem(overrides: { modelId: string; status?: "in_stock" | "in_use" | "repair" | "retired" }) {
   serialCounter += 1;
   return prisma.assetItem.create({
     data: {
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ describe("validateReturnAssignmentInput", () => {
 });
 
 describe("createAssignment", () => {
-  it("assigns an in_stock AssetItem, flips its status to assigned", async () => {
+  it("assigns an in_stock AssetItem, flips its status to in_use", async () => {
     const employee = await createTestEmployee();
     const modelId = await createTestModelId();
     const assetItem = await createTestAssetItem({ modelId });
@@ -236,10 +236,10 @@ describe("createAssignment", () => {
     expect(created.value.returned_at).toBeNull();
 
     const updatedItem = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(updatedItem.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(updatedItem.status).toBe("in_use");
   });
 
-  it.each(["repair", "retired", "assigned"] as const)(
+  it.each(["repair", "retired", "in_use"] as const)(
     "rejects assigning an AssetItem whose status is %s",
     async (status) => {
       const employee = await createTestEmployee();
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ describe("createAssignment", () => {
     expect(second.value.employee_id).toBe(employee2.id);
 
     const updatedItem = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(updatedItem.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(updatedItem.status).toBe("in_use");
   });
 
   it("returns a clean error when assetItemId doesn't reference an existing asset item", async () => {
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ describe("createAssignment", () => {
     expect(failed).toHaveLength(1);
 
     const item = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(item.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(item.status).toBe("in_use");
 
     const activeAssignments = await prisma.assignment.findMany({
       where: { assetItemId: assetItem.id, returnedAt: null },
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ describe("returnAssignment", () => {
 });
 
 describe("transferAssignment", () => {
-  it("transfers an AssetItem assignment to a new employee, keeping status assigned throughout", async () => {
+  it("transfers an AssetItem assignment to a new employee, keeping status in_use throughout", async () => {
     const employee1 = await createTestEmployee({ name: "Employee 1" });
     const employee2 = await createTestEmployee({ name: "Employee 2" });
     const modelId = await createTestModelId();
@@ -562,11 +562,11 @@ describe("transferAssignment", () => {
     expect(transferred.value.asset_item_id).toBe(assetItem.id);
     expect(transferred.value.returned_at).toBeNull();
 
-    // The AssetItem must remain "assigned" throughout the transfer — never
+    // The AssetItem must remain "in_use" throughout the transfer — never
     // flipped to in_stock mid-way (that's the whole point of doing this in
     // one transaction rather than a separate return + create).
     const item = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(item.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(item.status).toBe("in_use");
 
     const original = await prisma.assignment.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: created.value.id } });
     expect(original.returnedAt).not.toBeNull();
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ describe("transferAssignment", () => {
     const original = await prisma.assignment.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: created.value.id } });
     expect(original.returnedAt).toBeNull();
     const item = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(item.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(item.status).toBe("in_use");
   });
 });
 
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ describe("PATCH /api/assignments/[id]", () => {
     expect(body.returned_at).toBeNull();
 
     const item = await prisma.assetItem.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: assetItem.id } });
-    expect(item.status).toBe("assigned");
+    expect(item.status).toBe("in_use");
   });
 
   it("rejects a body with both employeeId and returnedAt with a mutual-exclusivity 400", async () => {
diff --git a/tests/maintenance-records.test.ts b/tests/maintenance-records.test.ts
index 62230bb..aa60fa1 100644
--- a/tests/maintenance-records.test.ts
+++ b/tests/maintenance-records.test.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ async function createTestModelId(): Promise<string> {
 let serialCounter = 0;
 function createTestAssetItem(overrides: {
   modelId: string;
-  status?: "in_stock" | "assigned" | "repair" | "retired";
+  status?: "in_stock" | "in_use" | "repair" | "retired";
 }) {
   serialCounter += 1;
   return prisma.assetItem.create({
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ describe("createMaintenanceRecord", () => {
 
   it("rejects opening a record for an AssetItem that has an active assignment", async () => {
     const modelId = await createTestModelId();
-    const assetItem = await createTestAssetItem({ modelId, status: "assigned" });
+    const assetItem = await createTestAssetItem({ modelId, status: "in_use" });
     const employee = await createTestEmployee();
     await prisma.assignment.create({
       data: { employeeId: employee.id, assetItemId: assetItem.id, assignedAt: new Date() },
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ describe("POST /api/maintenance-records", () => {
 
   it("rejects creating a record for an AssetItem with an active assignment", async () => {
     const modelId = await createTestModelId();
-    const assetItem = await createTestAssetItem({ modelId, status: "assigned" });
+    const assetItem = await createTestAssetItem({ modelId, status: "in_use" });
     const employee = await createTestEmployee();
     await prisma.assignment.create({
       data: { employeeId: employee.id, assetItemId: assetItem.id, assignedAt: new Date() },