diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a156b514e..d31b0086a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export default function App() {
 }
 ```
 
-The `<A>` tag also has an `active` class if its href matches the current location, and `inactive` otherwise. **Note:** By default matching includes locations that are descendents (eg. href `/users` matches locations `/users` and `/users/123`), use the boolean `end` prop to prevent matching these. This is particularly useful for links to the root route `/` which would match everything.
+The `<A>` tag also has an `active` class if its href matches the current location and `inactive` class otherwise. By providing the property `exactActiveClass`, you can opt in to a third state, which is `exactActive` and is set when the href matches the current location exactly.  **Note:** By default matching includes locations that are descendents (eg. href `/users` matches locations `/users` and `/users/123`). If no `exactActiveClass` property was provided, `active` class will be set for both partially and exactly matching routes.
 
 
 | prop     | type    | description                                                                                                                                                                              |
@@ -154,8 +154,9 @@ The `<A>` tag also has an `active` class if its href matches the current locatio
 | replace  | boolean | If true, don't add a new entry to the browser history. (By default, the new page will be added to the browser history, so pressing the back button will take you to the previous route.) |
 | state    | unknown | [Push this value](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/History/pushState) to the history stack when navigating  |                                      |
 | inactiveClass | string  | The class to show when the link is inactive (when the current location doesn't match the link) |
-| activeClass | string | The class to show when the link is active                                                                                                        |
-| end  | boolean | If `true`, only considers the link to be active when the curent location matches the `href` exactly; if `false`, check if the current location _starts with_ `href` |
+| activeClass | string | The class to show when the link is active, i.e. the current location _starts with_ `href`                                                                                                       |
+| exactActiveClass | string or true | The class to show when the link matches the `href` exactly. If `true`, applies `exactActive` class and enables strict matching - i.e. `activeClass` will not apply for an exact match.
+| end  | boolean | **Deprecated** If `true`, only considers the link to be active when the curent location matches the `href` exactly; if `false`, check if the current location _starts with_  `href` - providing `exactActiveClass` overrides this behavior |                                                                                                    |
 
 ### The Navigate Component
 Solid Router provides a `Navigate` component that works similarly to `A`, but it will _immediately_ navigate to the provided path as soon as the component is rendered. It also uses the `href` prop, but you have the additional option of passing a function to `href` that returns a path to navigate to:
diff --git a/src/components.tsx b/src/components.tsx
index 095339bce..08840f62c 100644
--- a/src/components.tsx
+++ b/src/components.tsx
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ export interface AnchorProps extends Omit<JSX.AnchorHTMLAttributes<HTMLAnchorEle
   state?: unknown;
   inactiveClass?: string;
   activeClass?: string;
+  exactActiveClass?: true | string;
+  /**
+   * @deprecated end property deprecated in favor of 'exactActiveClass'
+   */
   end?: boolean;
 }
 export function A(props: AnchorProps) {
@@ -218,19 +222,27 @@ export function A(props: AnchorProps) {
     "class",
     "activeClass",
     "inactiveClass",
+    "exactActiveClass",
     "end"
   ]);
   const to = useResolvedPath(() => props.href);
   const href = useHref(to);
   const location = useLocation();
-  const isActive = createMemo(() => {
+  const matchedHref = createMemo(() => {
     const to_ = to();
-    if (to_ === undefined) return false;
+    if (to_ === undefined) return [false, false];
     const path = normalizePath(to_.split(/[?#]/, 1)[0]).toLowerCase();
     const loc = normalizePath(location.pathname).toLowerCase();
-    return props.end ? path === loc : loc.startsWith(path);
+    return [loc.startsWith(path), path === loc];
   });
 
+  const isLooseMatch = createMemo(() => matchedHref()[0])
+  const isExactMatch = createMemo(() => matchedHref()[1] && Boolean(props.exactActiveClass))
+
+  // Remove together with `end` property
+  // If end was provided return an exact match, else return loose match (as long as users don't opt in for new behavior)
+  const isActiveDeprecated = createMemo(() => props.end ? matchedHref()[1] : !props.exactActiveClass && isLooseMatch())
+
   return (
     <a
       link
@@ -239,11 +251,12 @@ export function A(props: AnchorProps) {
       state={JSON.stringify(props.state)}
       classList={{
         ...(props.class && { [props.class]: true }),
-        [props.inactiveClass!]: !isActive(),
-        [props.activeClass!]: isActive(),
+        [props.inactiveClass!]: !isLooseMatch(),
+        [props.activeClass!]: isLooseMatch() && !isExactMatch() || isActiveDeprecated(),
+        ...(props.exactActiveClass && { [props.exactActiveClass === true ? 'exactActive' : props.exactActiveClass]: isExactMatch() }),
         ...rest.classList
       }}
-      aria-current={isActive() ? "page" : undefined}
+      aria-current={isLooseMatch() ? "page" : undefined}
     />
   );
 }