diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 2d5db94..f59e113 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 A modern web UI and MCP server layered on Recoll full-text search: self-hosted via Docker, managing
 several independent collections (e.g. `techbooks`, `cookbooks`).
 
-**Status:** spec 001's authenticated search API and Docker deployment are implemented. The web UI,
-MCP server, and multi-user management are later specs — see Workflow.
+**Status:** obsolete and archived — superseded by Knowledgenet (see README). Spec 001's search API and
+Docker deployment are implemented; the planned web UI, MCP server, and multi-user specs will not be built.
 
 `AGENTS.md` is the single source of truth for agents here. `CLAUDE.md` and `GEMINI.md` only point here.
 On demand: `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`, `docs/DECISIONS.md`, `docs/TODO.md`, `PRODUCT.md`.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8683c42..77723cd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # recoll-modern
 
+> [!WARNING]
+> **This project is obsolete and archived.** It has been superseded by
+> [Knowledgenet](https://gitea.lucaswinther.info/lucasw89/knowledgenet), which replaces the
+> Recoll/Python/FastAPI direction with direct Xapian integration and covers the planned web UI, MCP
+> server and multi-user access. Knowledgenet is still at the proposal stage; this repository is kept
+> read-only for reference and receives no further development.
+
 A modern, self-hosted web UI and MCP server on top of [Recoll](https://www.lesbonscomptes.com/recoll/)
 full-text search, with support for multiple independent collections.
 
diff --git a/docs/DECISIONS.md b/docs/DECISIONS.md
index a0cf665..2ae7a2c 100644
--- a/docs/DECISIONS.md
+++ b/docs/DECISIONS.md
@@ -442,3 +442,18 @@ layers. A split-package probe still produced a 253 MB compressed layer.
 **Consequences:** the service remains headless. The full image's largest compressed layer is 39.02 MB,
 and a local container confirms both Recoll commands and the Python binding are present. Registry
 publishing and pulling still require a successful Gitea Actions run.
+
+---
+
+## 2026-10-08 — Retire recoll-modern in favour of Knowledgenet
+**Status:** accepted
+**Context:** the Knowledgenet proposal (`lucasw89/knowledgenet`, `docs/PROPOSAL.md`) covers this
+project's goals — search, web UI, MCP access, multiple collections and multi-user permissions — and
+explicitly supersedes its direction: direct Xapian instead of Recoll, no Recoll/Python/FastAPI stack,
+and permissions designed in from the start rather than added after search.
+**Decision:** stop development here, mark the README obsolete, and archive the repository.
+**Alternatives:** keep building the web UI and MCP specs on Recoll, which the Knowledgenet proposal
+rules out.
+**Consequences:** spec 001 (search API and Docker image) remains as a read-only reference. Later specs
+listed in `docs/TODO.md` and `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md` will not be implemented here. Knowledgenet is still
+a proposal with no implementation, so nothing currently replaces the running service.