diff --git a/app/ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js b/app/ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
index 97b11cfa24f6..3c59a62a7496 100644
--- a/app/ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
+++ b/app/ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
@@ -35,19 +35,33 @@ const getFromServer = (cb, type) => {
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		let exactUser = null;
+		let exactRoom = null;
+		if (results.users[0] && results.users[0].username === currentFilter) {
+			exactUser = results.users.shift();
+		}
+		if (results.rooms[0] && results.rooms[0].username === currentFilter) {
+			exactRoom = results.rooms.shift();
+		}
+
 		const resultsFromServer = [];
 
-		resultsFromServer.push(...results.users.map((user) => ({
+		const roomFilter = (room) => !resultsFromClient.find((item) => [item.rid, item._id].includes(room._id));
+		const userMap = (user) => ({
 			_id: user._id,
 			t: 'd',
 			name: user.username,
 			fname: user.name,
-		})));
+		});
 
-		resultsFromServer.push(...results.rooms.filter((room) => !resultsFromClient.find((item) => [item.rid, item._id].includes(room._id))));
+		resultsFromServer.push(...results.users.map(userMap));
+		resultsFromServer.push(...results.rooms.filter(roomFilter));
 
-		if (resultsFromServer.length) {
-			cb(resultsFromClient.concat(resultsFromServer));
+		if (resultsFromServer.length || exactUser || exactRoom) {
+			exactRoom = exactRoom ? [roomFilter(exactRoom)] : [];
+			exactUser = exactUser ? [userMap(exactUser)] : [];
+			const combinedResults = exactUser.concat(exactRoom, resultsFromClient, resultsFromServer);
+			cb(combinedResults);
 		}
 	});
 };
diff --git a/server/publications/spotlight.js b/server/publications/spotlight.js
index 0da321b49dfd..702ed843d139 100644
--- a/server/publications/spotlight.js
+++ b/server/publications/spotlight.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function fetchRooms(userId, rooms) {
 }
 
 Meteor.methods({
-	spotlight(text, usernames, type = { users: true, rooms: true }, rid) {
+	spotlight(text, usernames = [], type = { users: true, rooms: true }, rid) {
 		const searchForChannels = text[0] === '#';
 		const searchForDMs = text[0] === '@';
 		if (searchForChannels) {
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@ Meteor.methods({
 
 		if (hasPermission(userId, 'view-outside-room')) {
 			if (type.users === true && hasPermission(userId, 'view-d-room')) {
-				result.users = Users.findByActiveUsersExcept(text, usernames, userOptions).fetch();
+				const exactUser = Users.findOneByUsernameIgnoringCase(text, userOptions);
+				if (exactUser && !usernames.includes(exactUser.username)) {
+					result.users.push(exactUser);
+					usernames.push(exactUser.username);
+				}
+				result.users = result.users.concat(Users.findByActiveUsersExcept(text, usernames, userOptions).fetch());
 			}
 
 			if (type.rooms === true && hasPermission(userId, 'view-c-room')) {
@@ -81,7 +86,13 @@ Meteor.methods({
 					.map((roomType) => roomType[0]);
 
 				const roomIds = Subscriptions.findByUserIdAndTypes(userId, searchableRoomTypes, { fields: { rid: 1 } }).fetch().map((s) => s.rid);
-				result.rooms = fetchRooms(userId, Rooms.findByNameAndTypesNotInIds(regex, searchableRoomTypes, roomIds, roomOptions).fetch());
+				const exactRoom = Rooms.findOneByNameAndType(text, searchableRoomTypes, roomOptions);
+				if (exactRoom) {
+					result.exactRoom.push(exactRoom);
+					roomIds.push(exactRoom.rid);
+				}
+
+				result.rooms = result.rooms.concat(fetchRooms(userId, Rooms.findByNameAndTypesNotInIds(regex, searchableRoomTypes, roomIds, roomOptions).fetch()));
 			}
 		} else if (type.users === true && rid) {
 			const subscriptions = Subscriptions.find({