diff --git a/app/models/user_search.rb b/app/models/user_search.rb
index df636e2a5e1..5ed020f202a 100644
--- a/app/models/user_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_search.rb
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ class UserSearch
     @term_like = "#{term.downcase}%"
     @topic_id = opts[:topic_id]
     @searching_user = opts[:searching_user]
+    @limit = opts[:limit] || 20
   end
 
   def search
-    users = User.order(User.sql_fragment("CASE WHEN username_lower = ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END ASC", :term))
+    users = User.order(User.sql_fragment("CASE WHEN username_lower = ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END ASC", @term.downcase))
 
     if @term.present?
       if SiteSetting.enable_names?
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ class UserSearch
     end
 
     users.order("CASE WHEN last_seen_at IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END DESC, last_seen_at DESC, username ASC")
-         .limit(20)
+         .limit(@limit)
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
index 37c3be95a5b..beaeb03406d 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ describe UserSearch do
   let(:topic)     { Fabricate :topic }
   let(:topic2)    { Fabricate :topic }
   let(:topic3)    { Fabricate :topic }
-  let(:user1)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblonde", name: "Michael Madsen" }
-  let(:user2)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Bunker" }
-  let(:user3)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrorange", name: "Tim Roth" }
-  let(:user4)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrpink",   name: "Steve Buscemi" }
-  let(:user5)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrbrown",  name: "Quentin Tarantino" }
-  let(:user6)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrwhite",  name: "Harvey Keitel" }
+  let(:user1)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrb", name: "Michael Madsen", last_seen_at: 10.days.ago }
+  let(:user2)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Bunker", last_seen_at: 9.days.ago  }
+  let(:user3)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrorange", name: "Tim Roth", last_seen_at: 8.days.ago }
+  let(:user4)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrpink",   name: "Steve Buscemi",  last_seen_at: 7.days.ago }
+  let(:user5)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrbrown",  name: "Quentin Tarantino", last_seen_at: 6.days.ago }
+  let(:user6)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrwhite",  name: "Harvey Keitel",  last_seen_at: 5.days.ago }
   let(:admin)     { Fabricate :admin, username: "theadmin" }
   let(:moderator) { Fabricate :moderator, username: "themod" }
 
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ describe UserSearch do
     results = search_for("MR", searching_user: admin)
     results.size.should == 6
 
-    results = search_for("MRB", searching_user: admin)
-    results.size.should == 3
+    results = search_for("MRB", searching_user: admin, limit: 2)
+    results.size.should == 2
 
     # topic priority
     results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic.id)
@@ -79,21 +79,26 @@ describe UserSearch do
 
 
     results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic2.id)
-    results.first.should == user2
+    results[1].should == user2
 
     results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic3.id)
-    results.first.should == user5
+    results[1].should == user5
 
     # When searching by name is enabled, it returns the record
-    SiteSetting.stubs(:enable_names).returns(true)
+    SiteSetting.enable_names = true
     results = search_for("Tarantino")
     results.size.should == 1
 
     # When searching by name is disabled, it will not return the record
-    SiteSetting.stubs(:enable_names).returns(false)
+    SiteSetting.enable_names = false
     results = search_for("Tarantino")
     results.size.should == 0
 
+
+    # find an exact match first
+    results = search_for("mrB")
+    results.first.should == user1
+
   end
 
 end