diff --git a/lib/controllers/v1/taxa_controller.js b/lib/controllers/v1/taxa_controller.js
index abb976a3..ac64877f 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/v1/taxa_controller.js
+++ b/lib/controllers/v1/taxa_controller.js
@@ -635,6 +635,20 @@ TaxaController.search = async req => {
         }
       } );
       searchReq.query.highlight.fields["names.name_autocomplete_ja"] = { };
+    } else if ( params.exact === "true" ) {
+      filters.push( {
+        nested: {
+          path: "names",
+          query: {
+            match: {
+              "names.exact_ci": {
+                query: params.q
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      } );
+      searchReq.query.highlight.fields["names.exact_ci"] = { };
     } else {
       filters.push( {
         nested: {
diff --git a/lib/views/swagger_v1.yml.ejs b/lib/views/swagger_v1.yml.ejs
index 53a0b805..c239f6bd 100644
--- a/lib/views/swagger_v1.yml.ejs
+++ b/lib/views/swagger_v1.yml.ejs
@@ -1750,6 +1750,10 @@ paths:
           type: boolean
           in: query
           description: Taxon is `active`
+        - name: exact
+          type: boolean
+          in: query
+          description: If true, only return exact string matches
         - name: id
           type: array
           items: