diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/AccountResolver.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/AccountResolver.java
index ebceded645..3b6eea4327 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/AccountResolver.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/AccountResolver.java
@@ -567,6 +567,25 @@ public class AccountResolver {
         input, nameOrEmailSearchers, visibilitySupplierCanSee(), accountActivityPredicate());
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Same as {@link #resolveByNameOrEmail(String)}, but with exact matching for the full name, email
+   * and full name.
+   *
+   * @param input input string.
+   * @return a result describing matching accounts. Never null even if the result set is empty.
+   * @throws ConfigInvalidException if an error occurs.
+   * @throws IOException if an error occurs.
+   * @deprecated for use only by MailUtil for parsing commit footers; that class needs to be
+   *     reevaluated.
+   */
+  public Result resolveByExactNameOrEmail(String input) throws ConfigInvalidException, IOException {
+    return searchImpl(
+        input,
+        ImmutableList.of(new ByNameAndEmail(), new ByEmail(), new ByFullName(), new ByUsername()),
+        visibilitySupplierCanSee(),
+        accountActivityPredicate());
+  }
+
   private Supplier<Predicate<AccountState>> visibilitySupplierCanSee() {
     return () -> accountControlFactory.get()::canSee;
   }
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/MailUtil.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/MailUtil.java
index ff22d23e2b..aee820966a 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/MailUtil.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/MailUtil.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class MailUtil {
   @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
   private static Account.Id toAccountId(AccountResolver accountResolver, String nameOrEmail)
       throws UnprocessableEntityException, IOException, ConfigInvalidException {
-    return accountResolver.resolveByNameOrEmail(nameOrEmail).asUnique().account().id();
+    return accountResolver.resolveByExactNameOrEmail(nameOrEmail).asUnique().account().id();
   }
 
   private static boolean isReviewer(FooterLine candidateFooterLine) {
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/account/AccountResolverIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/account/AccountResolverIT.java
index e924143050..c7beb2dad7 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/account/AccountResolverIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/account/AccountResolverIT.java
@@ -170,6 +170,33 @@ public class AccountResolverIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     assertThat(resolveByNameOrEmail(input)).containsExactly(idWithEmail);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void byUserNameOrFullNameOrEmailExact() throws Exception {
+    String userName = "UserFoo";
+    String fullName = "Name Foo";
+    String email = "emailfoo@something.com";
+    Account.Id id =
+        accountOperations
+            .newAccount()
+            .username(userName)
+            .fullname(fullName)
+            .preferredEmail(email)
+            .create();
+
+    // resolver returns results for exact matches
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail(userName)).containsExactly(id);
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail(fullName)).containsExactly(id);
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail(email)).containsExactly(id);
+
+    // resolver does not match with prefixes
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail("UserF")).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail("Name F")).isEmpty();
+    assertThat(resolveByExactNameOrEmail("emailf")).isEmpty();
+
+    /* The default name/email resolver accepts prefix matches */
+    assertThat(resolveByNameOrEmail("emai")).containsExactly(id);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void byNameAndEmailPrefersAccountsWithMatchingFullName() throws Exception {
     String email = name("user@example.com");
@@ -334,6 +361,11 @@ public class AccountResolverIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     return accountResolver.resolveByNameOrEmail(input.toString()).asIdSet();
   }
 
+  @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
+  private ImmutableSet<Account.Id> resolveByExactNameOrEmail(Object input) throws Exception {
+    return accountResolver.resolveByExactNameOrEmail(input.toString()).asIdSet();
+  }
+
   private void setPreferredEmailBypassingUniquenessCheck(Account.Id id, String email)
       throws Exception {
     Optional<AccountState> result =