diff --git a/crates/fff-core/src/score.rs b/crates/fff-core/src/score.rs
index 8fe21ceb..6793bf57 100644
--- a/crates/fff-core/src/score.rs
+++ b/crates/fff-core/src/score.rs
@@ -753,16 +753,43 @@ fn match_and_score_in_arena<'a>(
 
             let is_filename_match = end_col_filename_match || simd_filename_match.is_some();
             let fname_len = file.path.byte_len as usize - file.path.filename_offset as usize;
-
-            let is_exact_filename = simd_filename_match.is_some_and(|m| m.exact)
-                || (end_col_filename_match && main_needle_len as usize == fname_len && {
+            let needle_len = main_needle_len as usize;
+
+            // Length-gated exact-filename / exact-stem detection: both variants
+            // are mutually exclusive by length (exact needs n == fname_len, stem
+            // needs n + 2 <= fname_len), so the arena read happens at most once
+            // and is skipped when neither is plausible. Reuses `fname_buf` to
+            // avoid a per-file allocation.
+            let (is_exact_filename, is_exact_stem) = if !is_filename_match {
+                (false, false)
+            } else if simd_filename_match.is_some_and(|m| m.exact) {
+                (true, false)
+            } else {
+                let could_be_exact = end_col_filename_match && needle_len == fname_len;
+                let could_be_stem = needle_len + 2 <= fname_len;
+                if !could_be_exact && !could_be_stem {
+                    (false, false)
+                } else {
                     file.write_file_name_from_arena(arena, &mut fname_buf);
-                    main_needle.eq_ignore_ascii_case(fname_buf.as_bytes())
-                });
+                    let bytes = fname_buf.as_bytes();
+                    if could_be_exact {
+                        (main_needle.eq_ignore_ascii_case(bytes), false)
+                    } else if bytes[needle_len] == b'.'
+                        && !bytes[needle_len + 1..].contains(&b'.')
+                        && main_needle.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&bytes[..needle_len])
+                    {
+                        (false, true)
+                    } else {
+                        (false, false)
+                    }
+                }
+            };
 
             let mut has_special_filename_bonus = false;
             let filename_bonus = if is_exact_filename {
                 base_score / 5 * 2 // 40% bonus for exact filename match
+            } else if is_exact_stem {
+                base_score * 30 / 100 // 30% bonus for exact filename stem match
             } else if is_filename_match {
                 // 16% bonus for fuzzy filename match that landed in the filename region.
                 // For fallback matches (where the path match landed in a directory segment),
@@ -868,9 +895,11 @@ fn match_and_score_in_arena<'a>(
                 distance_penalty,
                 combo_match_boost,
                 path_alignment_bonus,
-                exact_match: is_exact_filename || path_match.exact,
+                exact_match: is_exact_filename || is_exact_stem || path_match.exact,
                 match_type: if is_exact_filename {
                     "exact_filename"
+                } else if is_exact_stem {
+                    "exact_stem"
                 } else if is_filename_match {
                     "fuzzy_filename"
                 } else if path_match.exact {
@@ -1393,6 +1422,24 @@ mod filename_bonus_tests {
         );
     }
 
+    /// Regression: query that exactly matches the filename stem (name minus
+    /// extension) should rank clearly above files that just contain the query
+    /// as a fuzzy filename substring. https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/fff/issues/722
+    #[test]
+    fn test_exact_stem_beats_fuzzy_filename() {
+        let (files, arena) = make_files(&["lsp/typos_lsp.lua", "lsp.lua"]);
+
+        let results = search(&files, "lsp", arena);
+
+        assert!(results.len() >= 2);
+        assert_eq!(
+            results[0].0, "lsp.lua",
+            "lsp.lua (exact filename stem) should rank above typos_lsp.lua"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(results[0].1.match_type, "exact_stem");
+        assert!(results[0].1.filename_bonus > results[1].1.filename_bonus);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_path_separator_disables_filename_bonus() {
         let (files, arena) = make_files(&["src/controllers/user.rs"]);