diff --git a/apps/admin-ui/public/resources/en/groups.json b/apps/admin-ui/public/resources/en/groups.json
index 42e1276a53..011beedfc5 100644
--- a/apps/admin-ui/public/resources/en/groups.json
+++ b/apps/admin-ui/public/resources/en/groups.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
   "usersAdded_other": "{{count}} users added to the group",
   "usersAddedError": "Could not add users to the group: {{error}}",
   "search": "Search",
+  "exactSearch": "Exact search",
   "members": "Members",
   "searchMembers": "Search members",
   "addMember": "Add member",
diff --git a/apps/admin-ui/src/groups/components/GroupTree.tsx b/apps/admin-ui/src/groups/components/GroupTree.tsx
index d864939129..772c2b484c 100644
--- a/apps/admin-ui/src/groups/components/GroupTree.tsx
+++ b/apps/admin-ui/src/groups/components/GroupTree.tsx
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ import { useState } from "react";
 import { Link } from "react-router-dom-v5-compat";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import {
+  Checkbox,
   Dropdown,
   DropdownItem,
   DropdownPosition,
   DropdownSeparator,
+  InputGroup,
   KebabToggle,
   TreeView,
   TreeViewDataItem,
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ export const GroupTree = ({ refresh: viewRefresh }: GroupTreeProps) => {
   const [search, setSearch] = useState("");
   const [max, setMax] = useState(20);
   const [first, setFirst] = useState(0);
+  const [exact, setExact] = useState(false);
 
   const [key, setKey] = useState(0);
   const refresh = () => {
@@ -151,12 +154,13 @@ export const GroupTree = ({ refresh: viewRefresh }: GroupTreeProps) => {
           {
             first: `${first}`,
             max: `${max + 1}`,
+            exact: `${exact}`,
           },
           search === "" ? null : { search }
         )
       ),
     (groups) => setData(groups.map((g) => mapGroup(g, [], refresh))),
-    [key, first, max, search]
+    [key, first, max, search, exact]
   );
 
   return data ? (
@@ -173,6 +177,18 @@ export const GroupTree = ({ refresh: viewRefresh }: GroupTreeProps) => {
       inputGroupName="searchForGroups"
       inputGroupPlaceholder={t("groups:searchForGroups")}
       inputGroupOnEnter={setSearch}
+      toolbarItem={
+        <InputGroup className="pf-u-pt-sm">
+          <Checkbox
+            id="exact"
+            data-testid="exact-search"
+            name="exact"
+            isChecked={exact}
+            onChange={(value) => setExact(value)}
+          />
+          <span className="pf-u-pl-sm">{t("exactSearch")}</span>
+        </InputGroup>
+      }
     >
       {data.length > 0 && (
         <TreeView data={data} allExpanded={search.length > 0} hasGuides />
diff --git a/keycloak-theme/src/main/java/org/keycloak/admin/ui/rest/GroupsResource.java b/keycloak-theme/src/main/java/org/keycloak/admin/ui/rest/GroupsResource.java
index b56a4ecba0..9a12d8124a 100644
--- a/keycloak-theme/src/main/java/org/keycloak/admin/ui/rest/GroupsResource.java
+++ b/keycloak-theme/src/main/java/org/keycloak/admin/ui/rest/GroupsResource.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import javax.ws.rs.GET;
 import javax.ws.rs.Produces;
 import javax.ws.rs.QueryParam;
 import javax.ws.rs.core.Context;
+
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.annotations.Operation;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.annotations.enums.SchemaType;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.annotations.media.Content;
@@ -53,22 +54,23 @@ public class GroupsResource {
             )}
     )
     public final Stream<GroupRepresentation> listGroups(@QueryParam("search") @DefaultValue("") final String search, @QueryParam("first")
-        @DefaultValue("0") int first, @QueryParam("max") @DefaultValue("10") int max, @QueryParam("global") @DefaultValue("true") boolean global) {
+    @DefaultValue("0") int first, @QueryParam("max") @DefaultValue("10") int max, @QueryParam("global") @DefaultValue("true") boolean global,
+                                                        @QueryParam("exact") @DefaultValue("false") boolean exact) {
         this.auth.groups().requireList();
         final Stream<GroupModel> stream;
         if (!"".equals(search)) {
             if (global) {
-                stream = this.realm.searchForGroupByNameStream(search, first, max);
+                stream = session.groups().searchForGroupByNameStream(realm, search, exact, first, max);
             } else {
                 stream = this.realm.getTopLevelGroupsStream().filter(g -> g.getName().contains(search)).skip(first).limit(max);
             }
         } else {
             stream = this.realm.getTopLevelGroupsStream(first, max);
         }
-        return stream.map(g -> toGroupHierarchy(g, search));
+        return stream.map(g -> toGroupHierarchy(g, search, exact));
     }
 
-    private GroupRepresentation toGroupHierarchy(GroupModel group, final String search) {
+    private GroupRepresentation toGroupHierarchy(GroupModel group, final String search, boolean exact) {
         GroupRepresentation rep = toRepresentation(group, true);
         rep.setAccess(auth.groups().getAccess(group));
         rep.setSubGroups(group.getSubGroupsStream().filter(g ->
@@ -76,9 +78,9 @@ public class GroupsResource {
                         g, search
                 )
         ).map(subGroup ->
-            ModelToRepresentation.toGroupHierarchy(
-                    subGroup, true, search
-            )
+                ModelToRepresentation.toGroupHierarchy(
+                        subGroup, true, search, exact
+                )
         ).collect(Collectors.toList()));
 
         return rep;