diff --git a/pillar/api/search/documents.py b/pillar/api/search/documents.py
index 5f0ec1cf..b0063b33 100644
--- a/pillar/api/search/documents.py
+++ b/pillar/api/search/documents.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class User(es.DocType):
     objectID = es.Keyword()
 
     username = es.String(fielddata=True, analyzer=autocomplete)
+    username_exact = es.Keyword()
     full_name = es.String(fielddata=True, analyzer=autocomplete)
 
     roles = es.Keyword(multi=True)
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ def create_doc_from_user_data(user_to_index: dict) -> typing.Optional[User]:
     doc = User(_id=doc_id)
     doc.objectID = str(user_to_index['objectID'])
     doc.username = user_to_index['username']
+    doc.username_exact = user_to_index['username']
     doc.full_name = user_to_index['full_name']
     doc.roles = list(map(str, user_to_index['roles']))
     doc.groups = list(map(str, user_to_index['groups']))
diff --git a/pillar/api/search/queries.py b/pillar/api/search/queries.py
index 3494eb04..1f3b1922 100644
--- a/pillar/api/search/queries.py
+++ b/pillar/api/search/queries.py
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ def _common_user_search(query: str) -> (typing.List[Query], typing.List[Query]):
         Q('match', username=query),
         Q('match', full_name=query),
         Q('match', email=query),
+        {'term': {'username_exact': {'value': query, 'boost': 50}}},
     ]
 
     if '@' in query: