diff --git a/models/repo/repo_list.go b/models/repo/repo_list.go
index 5b7cb5ed957..a4e1efa9452 100644
--- a/models/repo/repo_list.go
+++ b/models/repo/repo_list.go
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ func SearchRepositoryCondition(opts SearchRepoOptions) builder.Cond {
 					pieces := strings.Split(opts.Keyword, "/")
 					ownerName := pieces[0]
 					repoName := pieces[1]
-					likes = likes.Or(builder.And(builder.Like{"owner_name", strings.ToLower(ownerName)}, builder.Like{"lower_name", strings.ToLower(repoName)}))
+					likes = likes.Or(builder.And(db.BuildCaseInsensitiveLike("owner_name", ownerName), builder.Like{"lower_name", strings.ToLower(repoName)}))
 				}
 
 				if opts.IncludeDescription {
@@ -609,10 +609,12 @@ func searchRepositoryByCondition(ctx context.Context, opts SearchRepoOptions, co
 		orderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE WHEN owner_id = ? THEN 0 ELSE owner_id END, %s", orderBy))
 		args = append(args, opts.PriorityOwnerID)
 	} else if strings.Count(opts.Keyword, "/") == 1 {
-		// With "owner/repo" search times, prioritise results which match the owner field
-		orgName, _, _ := strings.Cut(opts.Keyword, "/")
-		orderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE WHEN owner_name LIKE ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, %s", orderBy))
-		args = append(args, orgName)
+		ownerName, repoName, _ := strings.Cut(strings.ToLower(opts.Keyword), "/")
+		orderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE LOWER(owner_name) WHEN ? THEN CASE lower_name WHEN ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END ELSE 2 END, %s", orderBy))
+		args = append(args, ownerName, repoName)
+	} else if len(opts.OrderBy) == 0 && opts.Keyword != "" && !strings.ContainsAny(opts.Keyword, ",/") { // unlike "owner/repo", a bare name never overrides an explicit sort
+		orderBy = db.SearchOrderBy(fmt.Sprintf("CASE WHEN lower_name = ? THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, %s", orderBy))
+		args = append(args, strings.ToLower(opts.Keyword))
 	}
 
 	sess := db.GetEngine(ctx)
diff --git a/models/repo/repo_list_test.go b/models/repo/repo_list_test.go
index 1cdd5cd4605..c0b13a016ff 100644
--- a/models/repo/repo_list_test.go
+++ b/models/repo/repo_list_test.go
@@ -195,6 +195,25 @@ func TestSearchRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("SearchRepositoryWithInDescription", testSearchRepositoryWithInDescription)
 	t.Run("SearchRepositoryNotInDescription", testSearchRepositoryNotInDescription)
 	t.Run("SearchRepositoryCases", testSearchRepositoryCases)
+	t.Run("SearchRepositoryRanksExactMatchesCaseInsensitivelyUnlessSorted", func(t *testing.T) {
+		afoo := &repo_model.Repository{OwnerID: 2, OwnerName: "User2", LowerName: "afoo", Name: "afoo"}
+		aafoo := &repo_model.Repository{OwnerID: 20, OwnerName: "user20", LowerName: "aafoo", Name: "aafoo"}
+		foo := &repo_model.Repository{OwnerID: 2, OwnerName: "User2", LowerName: "foo", Name: "foo"}
+		require.NoError(t, db.Insert(t.Context(), afoo, aafoo, foo))
+		for _, tc := range []struct {
+			keyword string
+			orderBy db.SearchOrderBy
+			want    []int64
+		}{
+			{"Foo", "", []int64{foo.ID, aafoo.ID, afoo.ID}},
+			{"Foo", db.SearchOrderByID, []int64{afoo.ID, aafoo.ID, foo.ID}},
+			{"user2/foo", "", []int64{foo.ID, afoo.ID, aafoo.ID}},
+		} {
+			repos, _, err := repo_model.SearchRepositoryByName(t.Context(), repo_model.SearchRepoOptions{Keyword: tc.keyword, OrderBy: tc.orderBy})
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, repoIDs(repos), "%s %s", tc.keyword, tc.orderBy)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func testSearchRepositoryPublic(t *testing.T) {