diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/base.rb b/lib/administrate/field/base.rb
index 65121587c..8d281c127 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/base.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/base.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,18 @@ def self.searchable?
         false
       end
 
+      def self.search_exact?
+        false
+      end
+
+      def self.search_lower?
+        true
+      end
+
+      def self.search_requires_string_cast?
+        true
+      end
+
       def self.field_type
         to_s.split("::").last.underscore
       end
diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/deferred.rb b/lib/administrate/field/deferred.rb
index ae3a79e85..28a74920f 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/deferred.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/deferred.rb
@@ -41,6 +41,26 @@ def searchable?
         end
       end
 
+      def search_exact?
+        if options.key?(:getter)
+          false
+        else
+          options.fetch(:search_exact, deferred_class.search_exact?)
+        end
+      end
+
+      def search_lower?
+        if options.key?(:getter)
+          false
+        else
+          options.fetch(:searchable, deferred_class.searchable?)
+        end
+      end
+
+      def search_requires_string_cast?
+        deferred_class.search_requires_string_cast?
+      end
+
       def searchable_field
         Administrate.deprecator.warn(
           "searchable_field is deprecated, use searchable_fields instead"
diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/email.rb b/lib/administrate/field/email.rb
index a84a0abfa..933634c5b 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/email.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/email.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ class Email < Field::Base
       def self.searchable?
         true
       end
+
+      def search_requires_string_cast?
+        false
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/string.rb b/lib/administrate/field/string.rb
index 2d28d8e1e..43bfd8e9e 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/string.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/string.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ def self.searchable?
         true
       end
 
+      def search_requires_string_cast?
+        false
+      end
+
       def truncate
         data.to_s[0...truncation_length]
       end
diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/text.rb b/lib/administrate/field/text.rb
index 397471eff..017a34915 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/text.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/text.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ def self.searchable?
         false
       end
 
+      def search_requires_string_cast?
+        false
+      end
+
       def truncate
         data.to_s[0...truncation_length]
       end
diff --git a/lib/administrate/field/url.rb b/lib/administrate/field/url.rb
index b5f1dad2a..1924a2d45 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/field/url.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/field/url.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ def self.searchable?
         true
       end
 
+      def search_requires_string_cast?
+        false
+      end
+
       def truncate
         data.to_s[0...truncation_length]
       end
diff --git a/lib/administrate/search.rb b/lib/administrate/search.rb
index ac04587c9..b0d4ff860 100644
--- a/lib/administrate/search.rb
+++ b/lib/administrate/search.rb
@@ -87,8 +87,18 @@ def query_template
       search_attributes.map do |attr|
         table_name = query_table_name(attr)
         searchable_fields(attr).map do |field|
+          attribute_type = attribute_types[attr]
           column_name = column_to_query(field)
-          "LOWER(CAST(#{table_name}.#{column_name} AS CHAR(256))) LIKE ?"
+
+          search_target = "#{table_name}.#{column_name}"
+          search_target = "CAST(#{search_target} AS CHAR(256))" if attribute_type.search_requires_string_cast?
+          search_target = "LOWER(#{search_target})" if attribute_type.search_lower?
+
+          if attribute_types[attr].search_exact?
+            "#{search_target} = ?"
+          else
+            "#{search_target} LIKE ?"
+          end
         end.join(" OR ")
       end.join(" OR ")
     end
@@ -100,10 +110,21 @@ def searchable_fields(attr)
     end
 
     def query_values
-      fields_count = search_attributes.sum do |attr|
-        searchable_fields(attr).count
+      search_attributes.flat_map do |attr|
+        attribute_type = attribute_types[attr]
+
+        search_term = if attribute_type.search_lower?
+          term.mb_chars.downcase
+        else
+          term.mb_chars
+        end
+
+        if attribute_type.search_exact?
+          [search_term] * searchable_fields(attr).count
+        else
+          ["%#{search_term}%"] * searchable_fields(attr).count
+        end
       end
-      ["%#{term.mb_chars.downcase}%"] * fields_count
     end
 
     def search_attributes