diff --git a/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js b/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
index e9a43fa5d3e..c5826b1376a 100644
--- a/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
+++ b/sphinx/themes/basic/static/searchtools.js
@@ -477,14 +477,18 @@ const Search = {
       // add support for partial matches
       if (word.length > 2) {
         const escapedWord = _escapeRegExp(word);
-        Object.keys(terms).forEach((term) => {
-          if (term.match(escapedWord) && !terms[word])
-            arr.push({ files: terms[term], score: Scorer.partialTerm });
-        });
-        Object.keys(titleTerms).forEach((term) => {
-          if (term.match(escapedWord) && !titleTerms[word])
-            arr.push({ files: titleTerms[word], score: Scorer.partialTitle });
-        });
+        if (!terms.hasOwnProperty(word)) {
+          Object.keys(terms).forEach((term) => {
+            if (term.match(escapedWord))
+              arr.push({ files: terms[term], score: Scorer.partialTerm });
+          });
+        }
+        if (!titleTerms.hasOwnProperty(word)) {
+          Object.keys(titleTerms).forEach((term) => {
+            if (term.match(escapedWord))
+              arr.push({ files: titleTerms[word], score: Scorer.partialTitle });
+          });
+        }
       }
 
       // no match but word was a required one
diff --git a/tests/js/searchtools.js b/tests/js/searchtools.js
index b70c2d32528..82282e3e8af 100644
--- a/tests/js/searchtools.js
+++ b/tests/js/searchtools.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ describe('Basic html theme search', function() {
         "<no title>",
         "",
         null,
-        2,
+        5,
         "index.rst"
       ]];
       expect(Search.performTermsSearch(searchterms, excluded, terms, titleterms)).toEqual(hits);