diff --git a/src/server/api/endpoints/users/search_by_username.ts b/src/server/api/endpoints/users/search_by_username.ts
index d347ba6056..1d8553baef 100644
--- a/src/server/api/endpoints/users/search_by_username.ts
+++ b/src/server/api/endpoints/users/search_by_username.ts
@@ -21,12 +21,36 @@ export default (params: any, me: ILocalUser) => new Promise(async (res, rej) =>
 	let users = await User
 		.find({
 			host: null,
-			usernameLower: new RegExp(escapeRegexp(query.toLowerCase()))
+			usernameLower: new RegExp('^' + escapeRegexp(query.toLowerCase()))
 		}, {
 			limit: limit,
 			skip: offset
 		});
 
+	if (users.length < limit) {
+		const remoteUsers = await User
+			.find({
+				host: { $ne: null },
+				usernameLower: new RegExp('^' + escapeRegexp(query.toLowerCase()))
+			}, {
+				limit: limit - users.length
+			});
+
+		users = users.concat(remoteUsers);
+	}
+
+	if (users.length < limit) {
+		const remoteUsers = await User
+			.find({
+				host: null,
+				usernameLower: new RegExp(escapeRegexp(query.toLowerCase()))
+			}, {
+				limit: limit - users.length
+			});
+
+		users = users.concat(remoteUsers);
+	}
+
 	if (users.length < limit) {
 		const remoteUsers = await User
 			.find({