diff --git a/src/controllers/krate/search.rs b/src/controllers/krate/search.rs
index e61ba527646..8120b3e860b 100644
--- a/src/controllers/krate/search.rs
+++ b/src/controllers/krate/search.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ pub fn search(req: &mut dyn Request) -> CargoResult<Response> {
             query = query.filter(
                 q.clone()
                     .matches(crates::textsearchable_index_col)
-                    .or(Crate::like_name(&q_string)),
+                    .or(Crate::loosly_matches_name(&q_string)),
             );
 
             query = query.select((
diff --git a/src/models/krate.rs b/src/models/krate.rs
index 376dcdb5a7d..7c16ef29392 100644
--- a/src/models/krate.rs
+++ b/src/models/krate.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use chrono::NaiveDateTime;
 use diesel::associations::Identifiable;
 use diesel::pg::Pg;
 use diesel::prelude::*;
+use diesel::sql_types::Bool;
 use url::Url;
 
 use crate::app::App;
@@ -86,8 +87,6 @@ pub const MAX_NAME_LENGTH: usize = 64;
 type CanonCrateName<T> = self::canon_crate_name::HelperType<T>;
 type All = diesel::dsl::Select<crates::table, AllColumns>;
 type WithName<'a> = diesel::dsl::Eq<CanonCrateName<crates::name>, CanonCrateName<&'a str>>;
-/// The result of a loose search
-type LikeName = diesel::dsl::Like<CanonCrateName<crates::name>, CanonCrateName<String>>;
 type ByName<'a> = diesel::dsl::Filter<All, WithName<'a>>;
 type ByExactName<'a> = diesel::dsl::Filter<All, diesel::dsl::Eq<crates::name, &'a str>>;
 
@@ -236,12 +235,28 @@ impl<'a> NewCrate<'a> {
 }
 
 impl Crate {
-    /// SQL filter with the `like` binary operator. Adds wildcards to the beginning and end to get
-    /// substring matches.
-    pub fn like_name(name: &str) -> LikeName {
-        let wildcard_name = format!("%{}%", name);
-        canon_crate_name(crates::name).like(canon_crate_name(wildcard_name))
+    /// SQL filter based on whether the crate's name loosly matches the given
+    /// string.
+    ///
+    /// The operator used varies based on the input.
+    pub fn loosly_matches_name<QS>(
+        name: &str,
+    ) -> Box<dyn BoxableExpression<QS, Pg, SqlType = Bool> + '_>
+    where
+        crates::name: SelectableExpression<QS>,
+    {
+        if name.len() > 2 {
+            let wildcard_name = format!("%{}%", name);
+            Box::new(canon_crate_name(crates::name).like(canon_crate_name(wildcard_name)))
+        } else {
+            diesel_infix_operator!(MatchesWord, "%>");
+            Box::new(MatchesWord::new(
+                canon_crate_name(crates::name),
+                name.into_sql::<Text>(),
+            ))
+        }
     }
+
     /// SQL filter with the = binary operator
     pub fn with_name(name: &str) -> WithName<'_> {
         canon_crate_name(crates::name).eq(canon_crate_name(name))
diff --git a/src/tests/krate.rs b/src/tests/krate.rs
index 554e2410a3c..081b9bb11cf 100644
--- a/src/tests/krate.rs
+++ b/src/tests/krate.rs
@@ -452,6 +452,10 @@ fn loose_search_order() {
     for (lhs, rhs) in search_temp.crates.iter().zip(ordered) {
         assert_eq!(lhs.name, rhs.name);
     }
+
+    let search_temp = anon.search("q=te");
+    assert_eq!(search_temp.meta.total, 3);
+    assert_eq!(search_temp.crates.len(), 3);
 }
 
 #[test]