diff --git a/src/public/app/services/branches.js b/src/public/app/services/branches.js
index 95d9e6510..b04e8602c 100644
--- a/src/public/app/services/branches.js
+++ b/src/public/app/services/branches.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import ws from "./ws.js";
 
 async function moveBeforeBranch(branchIdsToMove, beforeBranchId) {
     branchIdsToMove = filterRootNote(branchIdsToMove);
+    branchIdsToMove = filterSearchBranches(branchIdsToMove);
 
     if (beforeBranchId === 'root') {
         alert('Cannot move notes before root note.');
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ async function moveBeforeBranch(branchIdsToMove, beforeBranchId) {
 
 async function moveAfterBranch(branchIdsToMove, afterBranchId) {
     branchIdsToMove = filterRootNote(branchIdsToMove);
+    branchIdsToMove = filterSearchBranches(branchIdsToMove);
 
     const afterNote = await treeCache.getBranch(afterBranchId).getNote();
 
@@ -142,6 +144,10 @@ async function moveNodeUpInHierarchy(node) {
     }
 }
 
+function filterSearchBranches(branchIds) {
+    return branchIds.filter(branchId => !branchId.startsWith('virt-'));
+}
+
 function filterRootNote(branchIds) {
     const hoistedNoteId = hoistedNoteService.getHoistedNoteId();
 
diff --git a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
index 26518f7b9..0530f1f77 100644
--- a/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
+++ b/src/public/app/widgets/note_tree.js
@@ -392,12 +392,6 @@ export default class NoteTreeWidget extends TabAwareWidget {
                 autoExpandMS: 600,
                 preventLazyParents: false,
                 dragStart: (node, data) => {
-                    // don't allow dragging root node
-                    if (node.data.noteId === hoistedNoteService.getHoistedNoteId()
-                        || node.getParent().data.noteType === 'search') {
-                        return false;
-                    }
-
                     const notes = this.getSelectedOrActiveNodes(node).map(node => ({
                         noteId: node.data.noteId,
                         branchId: node.data.branchId,
diff --git a/src/public/stylesheets/relation_map.css b/src/public/stylesheets/relation_map.css
index 343274a46..31f512197 100644
--- a/src/public/stylesheets/relation_map.css
+++ b/src/public/stylesheets/relation_map.css
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 .note-detail-relation-map {
     height: 100%;
     overflow: hidden !important;
-    padding-top: 10px;
+    padding: 10px;
     position: relative;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/api/branches.js b/src/routes/api/branches.js
index 1b11ad8a3..bae85d01b 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/branches.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/branches.js
@@ -54,9 +54,17 @@ function moveBranchBeforeNote(req) {
     const {branchId, beforeBranchId} = req.params;
 
     const branchToMove = repository.getBranch(branchId);
-    const beforeNote = repository.getBranch(beforeBranchId);
+    const beforeBranch = repository.getBranch(beforeBranchId);
 
-    const validationResult = treeService.validateParentChild(beforeNote.parentNoteId, branchToMove.noteId, branchId);
+    if (!branchToMove) {
+        return [404, `Can't find branch ${branchId}`];
+    }
+
+    if (!beforeBranch) {
+        return [404, `Can't find branch ${beforeBranchId}`];
+    }
+
+    const validationResult = treeService.validateParentChild(beforeBranch.parentNoteId, branchToMove.noteId, branchId);
 
     if (!validationResult.success) {
         return [200, validationResult];
@@ -65,16 +73,16 @@ function moveBranchBeforeNote(req) {
     // we don't change utcDateModified so other changes are prioritized in case of conflict
     // also we would have to sync all those modified branches otherwise hash checks would fail
     sql.execute("UPDATE branches SET notePosition = notePosition + 10 WHERE parentNoteId = ? AND notePosition >= ? AND isDeleted = 0",
-        [beforeNote.parentNoteId, beforeNote.notePosition]);
+        [beforeBranch.parentNoteId, beforeBranch.notePosition]);
 
-    entityChangesService.addNoteReorderingEntityChange(beforeNote.parentNoteId);
+    entityChangesService.addNoteReorderingEntityChange(beforeBranch.parentNoteId);
 
-    if (branchToMove.parentNoteId === beforeNote.parentNoteId) {
-        branchToMove.notePosition = beforeNote.notePosition;
+    if (branchToMove.parentNoteId === beforeBranch.parentNoteId) {
+        branchToMove.notePosition = beforeBranch.notePosition;
         branchToMove.save();
     }
     else {
-        const newBranch = branchToMove.createClone(beforeNote.parentNoteId, beforeNote.notePosition);
+        const newBranch = branchToMove.createClone(beforeBranch.parentNoteId, beforeBranch.notePosition);
         newBranch.save();
 
         branchToMove.isDeleted = true;