diff --git a/convex/skills.packageCatalog.test.ts b/convex/skills.packageCatalog.test.ts
index 0bb7294a..c875c5fa 100644
--- a/convex/skills.packageCatalog.test.ts
+++ b/convex/skills.packageCatalog.test.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ function makeDigest(
 
 function makeCtx(pages: Array<{ page: Array<Record<string, unknown>>; isDone: boolean; continueCursor: string }>) {
   const pageByCursor = new Map<string | null, { page: Array<Record<string, unknown>>; isDone: boolean; continueCursor: string }>();
+  const allDigests = pages.flatMap((page) => page.page);
   let cursor: string | null = null;
   for (const page of pages) {
     pageByCursor.set(cursor, page);
@@ -112,14 +113,37 @@ function makeCtx(pages: Array<{ page: Array<Record<string, unknown>>; isDone: bo
   }
   return {
     db: {
-      query: () => ({
-        withIndex: () => ({
-          order: () => ({
-            paginate: async ({ cursor: pageCursor }: { cursor: string | null }) =>
-              pageByCursor.get(pageCursor) ?? { page: [], isDone: true, continueCursor: "" },
+      query: (table: string) => {
+        if (table === "skills") {
+          return {
+            withIndex: (_index: string, builder: (q: { eq: (field: string, value: string) => { field: string; value: string } }) => { field: string; value: string }) => {
+              const constraint = builder({ eq: (field, value) => ({ field, value }) });
+              return {
+                unique: async () => {
+                  if (constraint.field !== "slug") return null;
+                  const digest = allDigests.find((entry) => entry.slug === constraint.value);
+                  if (!digest) return null;
+                  return {
+                    _id: digest.skillId,
+                    slug: digest.slug,
+                    softDeletedAt: digest.softDeletedAt,
+                  };
+                },
+              };
+            },
+          };
+        }
+
+        return {
+          withIndex: () => ({
+            order: () => ({
+              paginate: async ({ cursor: pageCursor }: { cursor: string | null }) =>
+                pageByCursor.get(pageCursor) ?? { page: [], isDone: true, continueCursor: "" },
+            }),
+            unique: async () => null,
           }),
-        }),
-      }),
+        };
+      },
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/convex/skills.ts b/convex/skills.ts
index a5ee2b03..e6e452a9 100644
--- a/convex/skills.ts
+++ b/convex/skills.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ const MAX_LIST_TAKE = 1000;
 const MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SCAN_DOCUMENTS = 30_000;
 const MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SCAN_PAGES = 200;
 const MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SEARCH_PAGE_SIZE = 200;
-const MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SEARCH_SCAN_PAGES = 200;
 const HARD_DELETE_BATCH_SIZE = 100;
 const HARD_DELETE_VERSION_BATCH_SIZE = 10;
 const HARD_DELETE_LEADERBOARD_BATCH_SIZE = 25;
@@ -2829,22 +2828,32 @@ export const searchPackageCatalogPublic = query({
     const targetCount = Math.max(1, Math.min(args.limit ?? 20, 100));
     const matches: Array<{ score: number; package: PublicSkillCatalogItem }> = [];
     const seen = new Set<string>();
-    const pageSize = Math.min(MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SEARCH_PAGE_SIZE, Math.max(targetCount * 5, 50));
-    let cursor: string | null = null;
-    let done = false;
-    let loops = 0;
-    let remainingScanBudget = MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SCAN_DOCUMENTS;
 
-    while (!done && loops < MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SEARCH_SCAN_PAGES && remainingScanBudget > 0) {
-      loops += 1;
-      const effectivePageSize = Math.min(pageSize, remainingScanBudget);
-      if (effectivePageSize <= 0) break;
-      remainingScanBudget -= effectivePageSize;
-      const page = await paginator(ctx.db, schema)
+    const exactSkill = await resolveSkillBySlugOrAlias(ctx, queryText);
+    if (exactSkill.skill) {
+      const exactDigest = await ctx.db
+        .query("skillSearchDigest")
+        .withIndex("by_skill", (q) => q.eq("skillId", exactSkill.skill!._id))
+        .unique();
+      if (exactDigest && skillCatalogMatchesFilters(exactDigest, args)) {
+        const exactScore = scoreSkillCatalogResult(exactDigest, queryText);
+        if (exactScore > 0) {
+          seen.add(exactDigest.skillId);
+          matches.push({
+            score: exactScore,
+            package: toPublicSkillCatalogItem(exactDigest),
+          });
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (matches.length < targetCount) {
+      const pageSize = Math.min(MAX_SKILL_CATALOG_SEARCH_PAGE_SIZE, Math.max(targetCount * 5, 50));
+      const page = await ctx.db
         .query("skillSearchDigest")
         .withIndex("by_active_updated", (q) => q.eq("softDeletedAt", undefined))
         .order("desc")
-        .paginate({ cursor, numItems: effectivePageSize });
+        .paginate({ cursor: null, numItems: pageSize });
 
       for (const digest of page.page) {
         if (!skillCatalogMatchesFilters(digest, args)) continue;
@@ -2856,8 +2865,6 @@ export const searchPackageCatalogPublic = query({
           package: toPublicSkillCatalogItem(digest),
         });
       }
-      done = page.isDone;
-      cursor = page.continueCursor;
     }
 
     return matches