diff -u b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/display/EntityReference.php b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/display/EntityReference.php
--- b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/display/EntityReference.php
+++ b/core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/display/EntityReference.php
@@ -122,12 +122,16 @@
     // Restrict the autocomplete options based on what's been typed already.
     if (isset($options['match'])) {
       $style_options = $this->getOption('style');
-      $value = db_like($options['match']);
-      if ($options['match_operator'] === 'STARTS_WITH') {
-        $value = $value . '%';
+      $value = $options['match'];
+      if ($options['match_operator'] === '=') {
+        $operator = '=';
       }
-      elseif ($options['match_operator'] === 'CONTAINS') {
-        $value = '%' . $value . '%';
+      else {
+        $operator = 'LIKE';
+        $value = db_like($value) . '%';
+        if ($options['match_operator'] != 'STARTS_WITH') {
+          $value = '%' . $value;
+        }
       }
 
       // Multiple search fields are OR'd together.
@@ -142,7 +146,7 @@
           $field_alias = $this->view->query->addField($table_alias, $field_handler->realField);
           $field = $this->view->query->fields[$field_alias];
           // Add an OR condition for the field.
-          $conditions->condition($field['table'] . '.' . $field['field'], $value, 'LIKE');
+          $conditions->condition($field['table'] . '.' . $field['field'], $value, $operator);
         }
       }