diff --git a/src/backend/model/database/SearchManager.ts b/src/backend/model/database/SearchManager.ts
index b4e87388..217ec6f6 100644
--- a/src/backend/model/database/SearchManager.ts
+++ b/src/backend/model/database/SearchManager.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
           .where('photo.metadata.keywords LIKE :text COLLATE ' + SQL_COLLATE, {
             text: '%' + text + '%',
           })
-          .limit(Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.keyword*2)
+          .limit(Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.keyword)
           .getRawMany()
       )
         .map(
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                 text: '%' + text + '%',
               })
               .limit(
-                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.person*2
+                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.person
               )
               .orderBy('person.count', 'DESC')
               .getRawMany()
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
           .groupBy(
             'photo.metadata.positionData.country, photo.metadata.positionData.state, photo.metadata.positionData.city'
           )
-          .limit(Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.position*2)
+          .limit(Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.position )
           .getRawMany()
       )
         .filter((pm): boolean => !!pm)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                 text: '%' + text + '%',
               })
               .limit(
-                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.file_name*2
+                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.fileName
               )
               .getRawMany()
           ).map((r) => r.name),
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                 {text: '%' + text + '%'}
               )
               .limit(
-                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.caption*2
+                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.caption
               )
               .getRawMany()
           ).map((r) => r.caption),
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                 text: '%' + text + '%',
               })
               .limit(
-                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.directory*2
+                Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.directory
               )
               .getRawMany()
           ).map((r) => r.name),
@@ -255,22 +255,23 @@ export class SearchManager {
       );
     }
 
-    let result: AutoCompleteItem[];
+    const result: AutoCompleteItem[] = [];
 
-    // if not enough items are available, load more from one category
-    if (
-      [].concat(...partialResult).length <
-      Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.maxItems
-    ) {
-      result = [].concat(...partialResult);
-    } else {
-      result = [].concat(
-        ...partialResult.map((l) =>
-          l.slice(0, (Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory as any)[SearchQueryTypes[l[0].type]])
-        )
-      );
+    while (result.length < Config.Search.AutoComplete.ItemsPerCategory.maxItems) {
+      let adding = false;
+      for (let i = 0; i < partialResult.length; ++i) {
+        if (partialResult[i].length <= 0) {
+          continue;
+        }
+        result.push(partialResult[i].pop());
+        adding = true;
+      }
+      if (!adding) {
+        break;
+      }
     }
 
+
     return SearchManager.autoCompleteItemsUnique(result);
   }
 
@@ -720,7 +721,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
             const relationBottom = tq.negate ? '<=' : '>';
             switch (tq.frequency) {
               case DatePatternFrequency.every_year:
-                if(tq.daysLength >= 365){
+                if (tq.daysLength >= 365) {
                   return q;
                 }
                 q.where(
@@ -729,7 +730,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                   textParam);
                 break;
               case DatePatternFrequency.every_month:
-                if(tq.daysLength >=31){
+                if (tq.daysLength >= 31) {
                   return q;
                 }
                 q.where(
@@ -738,7 +739,7 @@ export class SearchManager {
                   textParam);
                 break;
               case DatePatternFrequency.every_week:
-                if(tq.daysLength >= 7){
+                if (tq.daysLength >= 7) {
                   return q;
                 }
                 q.where(
diff --git a/src/common/config/public/ClientConfig.ts b/src/common/config/public/ClientConfig.ts
index 78826f16..963db026 100644
--- a/src/common/config/public/ClientConfig.ts
+++ b/src/common/config/public/ClientConfig.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export class AutoCompleteItemsPerCategoryConfig {
       },
     description: $localize`Maximum number autocomplete items shown per photo category.`
   })
-  file_name: number = 2;
+  fileName: number = 2;
 
   @ConfigProperty({
     type: 'unsignedInt',
diff --git a/src/frontend/app/ui/gallery/search/autocomplete.service.ts b/src/frontend/app/ui/gallery/search/autocomplete.service.ts
index 2dcd8104..8f5316d4 100644
--- a/src/frontend/app/ui/gallery/search/autocomplete.service.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/app/ui/gallery/search/autocomplete.service.ts
@@ -244,27 +244,43 @@ export class AutoCompleteService {
     items: RenderableAutoCompleteItem[]
   ): RenderableAutoCompleteItem[] {
     const textLC = text.toLowerCase();
+    // Source: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3446170/escape-string-for-use-in-javascript-regex
+    const isStartRgx = new RegExp('(\\s|^)' + textLC.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&'), 'i');
     return items.sort((a, b) => {
       const aLC = a.text.toLowerCase();
       const bLC = b.text.toLowerCase();
-      // prioritize persons higher
-      if (a.type !== b.type) {
-        if (a.type === SearchQueryTypes.person) {
-          return -1;
-        } else if (b.type === SearchQueryTypes.person) {
-          return 1;
-        }
-      }
 
-      if (
-        (aLC.startsWith(textLC) && bLC.startsWith(textLC)) ||
-        (!aLC.startsWith(textLC) && !bLC.startsWith(textLC))
-      ) {
+      const basicCompare = () => {
+        // prioritize persons higher
+        if (a.type !== b.type) {
+          if (a.type === SearchQueryTypes.person) {
+            return -1;
+          } else if (b.type === SearchQueryTypes.person) {
+            return 1;
+          }
+        }
         return aLC.localeCompare(bLC);
+      };
+
+      // both starts with the searched string
+      if (aLC.startsWith(textLC) && bLC.startsWith(textLC)) {
+        return basicCompare();
+
+        // none starts with the searched string
+      } else if (!aLC.startsWith(textLC) && !bLC.startsWith(textLC)) {
+
+        if ((isStartRgx.test(aLC) && isStartRgx.test(bLC)) ||
+          (!isStartRgx.test(aLC) && !isStartRgx.test(bLC))) {
+          return basicCompare();
+        } else if (isStartRgx.test(aLC)) {
+          return -1;
+        }
+        return 1;
+        // one of them starts with the searched string
       } else if (aLC.startsWith(textLC)) {
         return -1;
       }
-      return 1;
+      return basicCompare();
     });
   }