diff --git a/matchtree.go b/matchtree.go
index fad840c0e..e74c3641c 100644
--- a/matchtree.go
+++ b/matchtree.go
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ func (t *symbolRegexpMatchTree) matches(cp *contentProvider, cost int, known map
 type symbolSubstrMatchTree struct {
 	*substrMatchTree
 
+	exact         bool
 	patternSize   uint32
 	fileEndRunes  []uint32
 	fileEndSymbol []uint32
@@ -292,12 +293,19 @@ func (t *symbolSubstrMatchTree) prepare(doc uint32) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if end <= sections[secIdx].End {
-			t.current[0].symbol = true
-			t.current[0].symbolIdx = uint32(secIdx)
-			trimmed = append(trimmed, t.current[0])
+		if end > sections[secIdx].End {
+			t.current = t.current[1:]
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if t.exact && !(start == sections[secIdx].Start && end == sections[secIdx].End) {
+			t.current = t.current[1:]
+			continue
 		}
 
+		t.current[0].symbol = true
+		t.current[0].symbolIdx = uint32(secIdx)
+		trimmed = append(trimmed, t.current[0])
 		t.current = t.current[1:]
 	}
 	t.current = trimmed
@@ -983,7 +991,12 @@ func (d *indexData) newMatchTree(q query.Q, opt matchTreeOpt) (matchTree, error)
 		optCopy := opt
 		optCopy.DisableWordMatchOptimization = true
 
-		subMT, err := d.newMatchTree(s.Expr, optCopy)
+		expr, wasAnchored := s.Expr, false
+		if regexpExpr, ok := expr.(*query.Regexp); ok {
+			expr, wasAnchored = stripAnchors(regexpExpr)
+		}
+
+		subMT, err := d.newMatchTree(expr, optCopy)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -991,6 +1004,7 @@ func (d *indexData) newMatchTree(q query.Q, opt matchTreeOpt) (matchTree, error)
 		if substr, ok := subMT.(*substrMatchTree); ok {
 			return &symbolSubstrMatchTree{
 				substrMatchTree: substr,
+				exact:           wasAnchored,
 				patternSize:     uint32(utf8.RuneCountInString(substr.query.Pattern)),
 				fileEndRunes:    d.fileEndRunes,
 				fileEndSymbol:   d.fileEndSymbol,
@@ -1256,3 +1270,37 @@ func pruneMatchTree(mt matchTree) (matchTree, error) {
 	}
 	return mt, err
 }
+
+func stripAnchors(in *query.Regexp) (out *query.Regexp, stripped bool) {
+	stripRegexpAnchors := func(in *syntax.Regexp) (out *syntax.Regexp, stripped bool) {
+		if in.Op != syntax.OpConcat {
+			return out, false
+		}
+
+		if len(in.Sub) < 3 {
+			return out, false
+		}
+
+		firstOp, lastOp := in.Sub[0].Op, in.Sub[len(in.Sub)-1].Op
+
+		if firstOp != syntax.OpBeginLine && firstOp != syntax.OpBeginText {
+			return out, false
+		}
+		if lastOp != syntax.OpEndLine && lastOp != syntax.OpEndText {
+			return out, false
+		}
+
+		inCopy := *in
+		inCopy.Sub = in.Sub[1 : len(in.Sub)-1] // remove the first and last ops, which are the anchors
+		return &inCopy, true
+	}
+
+	newRegexp, stripped := stripRegexpAnchors(in.Regexp)
+	if !stripped {
+		return in, false
+	}
+
+	inCopy := *in
+	inCopy.Regexp = newRegexp
+	return &inCopy, true
+}