diff --git a/client/src/components/ui/ContentFilterChipInput.vue b/client/src/components/ui/ContentFilterChipInput.vue
index 409f0a6e6..a15269493 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ui/ContentFilterChipInput.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/ui/ContentFilterChipInput.vue
@@ -19,19 +19,45 @@ const query = ref('')
 const results = ref<Item[]>([])
 const showDropdown = ref(false)
 let debounceTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>
+let latestRequestId = 0
+
+function comparableName(value: string): string {
+  return value
+    .normalize('NFD')
+    .replace(/\p{Mark}/gu, '')
+    .replace(/\s+/gu, ' ')
+    .trim()
+    .toLocaleLowerCase()
+}
+
+function findExactResult(items: readonly Item[], value: string): Item | undefined {
+  const comparableValue = comparableName(value)
+  return items.find((item) => comparableName(item.name) === comparableValue)
+}
+
+async function search(queryValue: string): Promise<Item[] | null> {
+  const requestId = ++latestRequestId
+  const selectedIds = new Set(props.modelValue.map((item) => item.id))
+  const response = await props.searchFn(queryValue)
+  if (requestId !== latestRequestId || query.value !== queryValue) return null
+
+  const available = response.filter((item) => !selectedIds.has(item.id))
+  results.value = available
+  showDropdown.value = available.length > 0
+  return available
+}
 
 async function onInput() {
   clearTimeout(debounceTimer)
   if (!query.value.trim()) {
+    latestRequestId++
     results.value = []
     showDropdown.value = false
     return
   }
-  debounceTimer = setTimeout(async () => {
-    const selectedIds = new Set(props.modelValue.map((i) => i.id))
-    const res = await props.searchFn(query.value)
-    results.value = res.filter((r) => !selectedIds.has(r.id))
-    showDropdown.value = results.value.length > 0
+  const queryValue = query.value
+  debounceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+    void search(queryValue)
   }, 200)
 }
 
@@ -39,6 +65,8 @@ function addItem(item: Item) {
   if (!props.modelValue.some((v) => v.id === item.id)) {
     emit('update:modelValue', [...props.modelValue, item])
   }
+  latestRequestId++
+  clearTimeout(debounceTimer)
   query.value = ''
   results.value = []
   showDropdown.value = false
@@ -51,8 +79,21 @@ function removeItem(id: number) {
   )
 }
 
-function onKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
-  if (e.key === 'Backspace' && !query.value && props.modelValue.length > 0) {
+async function onKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent) {
+  if (e.key === 'Enter' && query.value.trim()) {
+    e.preventDefault()
+    const queryValue = query.value
+    const loadedExactMatch = findExactResult(results.value, queryValue)
+    if (loadedExactMatch) {
+      addItem(loadedExactMatch)
+      return
+    }
+
+    clearTimeout(debounceTimer)
+    const available = await search(queryValue)
+    const fetchedExactMatch = available ? findExactResult(available, queryValue) : undefined
+    if (fetchedExactMatch) addItem(fetchedExactMatch)
+  } else if (e.key === 'Backspace' && !query.value && props.modelValue.length > 0) {
     emit('update:modelValue', props.modelValue.slice(0, -1))
   }
 }
@@ -63,7 +104,10 @@ function onBlur() {
   }, 150)
 }
 
-onUnmounted(() => clearTimeout(debounceTimer))
+onUnmounted(() => {
+  latestRequestId++
+  clearTimeout(debounceTimer)
+})
 </script>
 
 <template>
diff --git a/client/src/components/ui/__tests__/ContentFilterChipInput.spec.ts b/client/src/components/ui/__tests__/ContentFilterChipInput.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97f666959
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/ui/__tests__/ContentFilterChipInput.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { flushPromises, mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import ContentFilterChipInput from '../ContentFilterChipInput.vue'
+
+interface Item {
+  id: number
+  name: string
+}
+
+function mountInput(searchFn: (query: string) => Promise<Item[]>, modelValue: Item[] = []) {
+  return mount(ContentFilterChipInput, { props: { modelValue, searchFn } })
+}
+
+describe('ContentFilterChipInput', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
+  it('fetches immediately and selects an exact existing item when Enter is pressed', async () => {
+    const exact = { id: 21, name: 'Young Adult' }
+    const partials = Array.from({ length: 15 }, (_, index) => ({ id: index + 1, name: `Young Adult category ${index + 1}` }))
+    const searchFn = vi.fn<(query: string) => Promise<Item[]>>().mockResolvedValue([...partials, exact])
+    const wrapper = mountInput(searchFn)
+    const input = wrapper.get('input')
+
+    await input.setValue('young adult')
+    await input.trigger('keydown', { key: 'Enter' })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(searchFn).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('young adult')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('update:modelValue')?.at(-1)).toEqual([[exact]])
+    expect((input.element as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe('')
+  })
+
+  it('uses a loaded exact match without issuing a duplicate request', async () => {
+    const exact = { id: 7, name: 'Caf\u00e9 Society' }
+    const searchFn = vi.fn<(query: string) => Promise<Item[]>>().mockResolvedValue([{ id: 8, name: 'Cafe Society Stories' }, exact])
+    const wrapper = mountInput(searchFn)
+    const input = wrapper.get('input')
+
+    await input.setValue('  CAFE SOCIETY  ')
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(200)
+    await flushPromises()
+    await input.trigger('keydown', { key: 'Enter' })
+
+    expect(searchFn).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('update:modelValue')?.at(-1)).toEqual([[exact]])
+  })
+
+  it('does not create a restriction when no exact catalog item exists', async () => {
+    const partials = [
+      { id: 1, name: 'Young Adult Fiction' },
+      { id: 2, name: 'Fiction for Young Adults' },
+    ]
+    const searchFn = vi.fn<(query: string) => Promise<Item[]>>().mockResolvedValue(partials)
+    const wrapper = mountInput(searchFn)
+    const input = wrapper.get('input')
+
+    await input.setValue('Young Adult')
+    await input.trigger('keydown', { key: 'Enter' })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('update:modelValue')).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(wrapper.findAll('li').map((item) => item.text())).toEqual(partials.map((item) => item.name))
+    expect((input.element as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe('Young Adult')
+  })
+
+  it('ignores an older response after a newer exact match has been selected', async () => {
+    let resolveOlder!: (items: Item[]) => void
+    const olderResponse = new Promise<Item[]>((resolve) => {
+      resolveOlder = resolve
+    })
+    const exact = { id: 21, name: 'Young Adult' }
+    const searchFn = vi.fn<(query: string) => Promise<Item[]>>().mockReturnValueOnce(olderResponse).mockResolvedValueOnce([exact])
+    const wrapper = mountInput(searchFn)
+    const input = wrapper.get('input')
+
+    await input.setValue('Young')
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(200)
+    await input.setValue('Young Adult')
+    await input.trigger('keydown', { key: 'Enter' })
+    await flushPromises()
+    resolveOlder([{ id: 1, name: 'Young Readers' }])
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('update:modelValue')?.at(-1)).toEqual([[exact]])
+    expect(wrapper.findAll('li')).toHaveLength(0)
+    expect((input.element as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe('')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.test.ts b/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.test.ts
index 43debc845..fcd2b0b3e 100644
--- a/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { PgDialect, pgTable, text } from 'drizzle-orm/pg-core';
 
-import { accentInsensitiveIlike, buildSearchPattern, escapeLikePattern } from './accent-insensitive-search.utils';
+import { accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank, accentInsensitiveIlike, buildSearchPattern, escapeLikePattern } from './accent-insensitive-search.utils';
 
 const records = pgTable('records', {
   name: text('name'),
@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ describe('accentInsensitiveIlike', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank', () => {
+  it('ranks accent-insensitive, case-insensitive exact matches before partial matches', () => {
+    const dialect = new PgDialect();
+
+    const query = dialect.sqlToQuery(accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank(records.name, 'Garcia'));
+
+    expect(query.sql).toBe('case when lower(public.bookorbit_unaccent("records"."name")) = lower(public.bookorbit_unaccent($1)) then 0 else 1 end');
+    expect(query.params).toEqual(['Garcia']);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('escapeLikePattern', () => {
   it('escapes every LIKE metacharacter', () => {
     expect(escapeLikePattern('100%_off\\now')).toBe('100\\%\\_off\\\\now');
diff --git a/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.ts b/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.ts
index 27b610164..60042dc88 100644
--- a/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.ts
+++ b/server/src/common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ export function accentInsensitiveIlike(value: SQLWrapper, pattern: string | SQLW
   return sql`public.bookorbit_unaccent(${value}) ILIKE public.bookorbit_unaccent(${pattern})`;
 }
 
+export function accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank(value: SQLWrapper, term: string): SQL<number> {
+  return sql<number>`case when lower(public.bookorbit_unaccent(${value})) = lower(public.bookorbit_unaccent(${term})) then 0 else 1 end`;
+}
+
 export function escapeLikePattern(value: string): string {
   return value.replace(/[\\%_]/g, '\\$&');
 }
diff --git a/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.test.ts b/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.test.ts
index a654396b1..119d76670 100644
--- a/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.test.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,14 @@ vi.mock('drizzle-orm', () => ({
 
 vi.mock('../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils', async (importOriginal) => ({
   ...(await importOriginal<typeof import('../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils')>()),
+  accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank: vi.fn((left: unknown, term: string) => ({ type: 'sql', left, term })),
   accentInsensitiveIlike: vi.fn((left: unknown, pattern: string) => ({ type: 'accentInsensitiveIlike', left, pattern })),
 }));
 
 import { and, eq, isNotNull } from 'drizzle-orm';
 
-import { accentInsensitiveIlike } from '../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils';
-import { authors, bookMetadata, bookSeries, collections, narrators } from '../../db/schema';
+import { accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank, accentInsensitiveIlike } from '../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils';
+import { authors, bookMetadata, bookSeries, collections, genres, narrators, tags } from '../../db/schema';
 import { CatalogService } from './catalog.service';
 
 interface QueryChain<T> {
@@ -114,6 +115,20 @@ describe('CatalogService', () => {
     expect(selectChains[0]?.limit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(15);
   });
 
+  it.each([
+    ['genres', genres, (service: CatalogService, q: string) => service.searchGenres(q)],
+    ['tags', tags, (service: CatalogService, q: string) => service.searchTags(q)],
+  ] as const)('ranks an exact %s match before alphabetical partial matches', async (_label, table, search) => {
+    const { service, selectChains } = makeService();
+
+    await search(service, '  Young\u00a0 Adult  ');
+
+    expect(accentInsensitiveIlike).toHaveBeenCalledWith(table.name, '%Young Adult%');
+    expect(accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank).toHaveBeenCalledWith(table.name, 'Young Adult');
+    expect(selectChains[0]?.orderBy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ type: 'sql' }), table.name);
+    expect(selectChains[0]?.limit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(15);
+  });
+
   it('uses distinct metadata lookup for publishers and filters null rows defensively', async () => {
     const { service, setSelectDistinctRows, selectDistinctChains } = makeService();
     setSelectDistinctRows([{ name: 'Orbit' }, { name: null }, { name: 'Tor' }]);
diff --git a/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.ts b/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.ts
index 1dd9acbab..8ddd0a488 100644
--- a/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/modules/catalog/catalog.service.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { and, eq, isNotNull } from 'drizzle-orm';
 import { NodePgDatabase } from 'drizzle-orm/node-postgres';
 
 import { DB } from '../../db';
-import { accentInsensitiveIlike, buildSearchPattern } from '../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils';
+import { accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank, accentInsensitiveIlike, buildSearchPattern } from '../../common/utils/accent-insensitive-search.utils';
+import { normalizeMetadataText } from '../../common/utils/metadata-text-normalize.utils';
 import * as schema from '../../db/schema';
 import { authors, bookMetadata, bookSeries, collections, genres, narrators, tags } from '../../db/schema';
 
@@ -74,14 +75,14 @@ export class CatalogService {
   }
 
   private searchByNameWithId(q: string, table: NamedTableWithId): Promise<SearchResultWithId[]> {
-    const pattern = this.toContainsPattern(q);
-    if (!pattern) return Promise.resolve([]);
+    const term = normalizeMetadataText(q);
+    if (!term) return Promise.resolve([]);
 
     return this.db
       .select({ id: table.id, name: table.name })
       .from(table)
-      .where(accentInsensitiveIlike(table.name, pattern))
-      .orderBy(table.name)
+      .where(accentInsensitiveIlike(table.name, buildSearchPattern(term)))
+      .orderBy(accentInsensitiveExactMatchRank(table.name, term), table.name)
       .limit(DEFAULT_SEARCH_LIMIT);
   }