diff --git a/ui/fixtures/cmd.search.json b/ui/fixtures/cmd.search.json
index 504e9f7..ad1a7dc 100644
--- a/ui/fixtures/cmd.search.json
+++ b/ui/fixtures/cmd.search.json
@@ -4,6 +4,22 @@
 	"cmd": [ "genident", "name=A Test User" ],
 	"exit": 0
 },
+{
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"hostid": "ceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679"
+},
+{
+	"title": "create host",
+	"cmd": [ "hosts" ]
+},
+{
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"hostid": "efdb5d9c-d123-4b30-aaa8-45a9ea8f6053"
+},
+{
+	"title": "create host",
+	"cmd": [ "hosts" ]
+},
 {
 	"title": "add tag a",
 	"cmd": [ "modify", "+tag=foo", "+dc:creator=John-Mark Gurney", "newfile.txt" ]
@@ -14,8 +30,8 @@
 },
 {
 	"special": "verify store object cnt",
-	"comment": "should have two file and two metadata",
-	"count": 4
+	"comment": "should have two file and two metadata and two hosts",
+	"count": 6
 },
 {
 	"title": "search tag foo",
@@ -38,8 +54,29 @@
 	"stdout_re": "/newfile.txt\n$"
 },
 {
-	"title": "search other",
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"hostid": "ceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679"
+},
+{
+	"title": "test that no mapping works",
 	"cmd": [ "search", "file", "+other" ],
-	"stdout_re": "/test.txt\n$"
+	"stdout_re": "^efdb5d9c-d123-4b30-aaa8-45a9ea8f6053:/.*/test.txt\n$"
+},
+{
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"hostid": "efdb5d9c-d123-4b30-aaa8-45a9ea8f6053"
+},
+{
+	"title": "host mapping works",
+	"cmd": [ "mapping", "--create", ".", "ceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679:/foobar" ]
+},
+{
+	"special": "set hostid",
+	"hostid": "ceaa4862-dd00-41ba-9787-7480ec1b2679"
+},
+{
+	"title": "search other, mapped properly",
+	"cmd": [ "search", "file", "+other" ],
+	"stdout_re": "^/foobar/test.txt\n$"
 }
 ]
diff --git a/ui/medashare/cli.py b/ui/medashare/cli.py
index 4e3f1a4..473fc7d 100644
--- a/ui/medashare/cli.py
+++ b/ui/medashare/cli.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import collections
 import stat
 import sys
 import logging
@@ -573,7 +574,7 @@ class ObjectStore(object):
 
 		return objs
 
-	def _get_hostmappings(self):
+	def get_hostmappings(self):
 		'''Returns the tuple (lclpath, hostid, rempath) for all
 		the mappings for this hostid.'''
 
@@ -620,7 +621,7 @@ class ObjectStore(object):
 		except KeyError:
 			# check mappings
 			fname = pathlib.Path(fname).resolve()
-			for lclpath, hostid, rempath in self._get_hostmappings():
+			for lclpath, hostid, rempath in self.get_hostmappings():
 				if fname.parts[:len(lclpath.parts)] == lclpath.parts:
 					try:
 						rempath = pathlib.Path(
@@ -693,6 +694,40 @@ class FileObject(MDBase):
 	def fullname(self):
 		return os.path.join(self.dir, self.filename)
 
+	@staticmethod
+	def prep_mapping(mapping):
+		r = collections.defaultdict(lambda: [])
+		for lclp, hid, remp in mapping:
+			r[hid].append((pathlib.PosixPath(lclp),
+			    pathlib.PosixPath(remp)))
+
+		return r
+
+	def get_lcl_name(self, mapping):
+		'''Using mapping (obtained from the object store's
+		get_hostmappings method and passed through local prep_mapping
+		method), try to map the file to a local path.
+
+		if not possible, returned will be hostid:remotepath.
+		'''
+
+		lclhostid = hostuuid()
+
+		#_debprint('gln:', repr(self), repr(mapping), repr(lclhostid))
+
+		if self.hostid == lclhostid:
+			return self.fullname
+
+		for lclp, remp in mapping[self.hostid]:
+			fname = pathlib.PosixPath(self.fullname)
+			if fname.parts[:len(remp.parts)] == remp.parts:
+				return pathlib.Path(
+				    *lclp.parts +
+				    fname.parts[len(
+				    remp.parts):])
+		else:
+			return str(self.hostid) + ':' + self.fullname
+
 	@staticmethod
 	def make_id(fname, hostid=None):
 		'''Take a local file name, and make the id for it.  Note that
@@ -957,9 +992,9 @@ def cmd_mapping(options, persona, objstr, cache):
 	parts = [ x.split(':', 1) for x in options.mapping ]
 
 	if len(parts[0]) == 1:
-		parts[0] = [ hostuuid(), parts[0][0] ]
+		parts[0] = [ str(hostuuid()), parts[0][0] ]
 
-	if parts[0][0] == hostuuid():
+	if parts[0][0] == str(hostuuid()):
 		parts[0][1] = str(pathlib.Path(parts[0][1]).resolve())
 
 	if parts[1][1][0] != '/':
@@ -1478,7 +1513,8 @@ def cmd_search(options, persona, objstr, cache):
 	r = ( x for x in objstr if x.type == 'file' and testfun(x) )
 
 	if _type == 'file':
-		r = ( x.fullname for x in r )
+		mapping = FileObject.prep_mapping(objstr.get_hostmappings())
+		r = ( x.get_lcl_name(mapping) for x in r )
 	else:
 		raise ValueError('unhandled type: %s' % repr(_type))
 
@@ -2230,7 +2266,7 @@ class _TestCases(unittest.TestCase):
 					self.assertEqual(objcnt, cmd['count'])
 				elif special == 'set hostid':
 					hostidpatch = mock.patch(__name__ + '.hostuuid')
-					hid = cmd['hostid'] if 'hostid' in cmd else uuid.uuid4()
+					hid = uuid.UUID(cmd['hostid']) if 'hostid' in cmd else uuid.uuid4()
 					hostidpatch.start().return_value = hid
 					patches.append(hostidpatch)
 				elif special == 'iter is unique':