diff --git a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlg.cpp b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlg.cpp
index 553a0e90a29e..f00ffbce0630 100644
--- a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlg.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlg.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ QgsValueRelationConfigDlg::QgsValueRelationConfigDlg( QgsVectorLayer *vl, int fi
   }
          );
 
+  connect( mUseCompleter, &QCheckBox::stateChanged, this,  [ = ]( int state )
+  {
+    mCompleterMatchFromStart->setEnabled( static_cast<Qt::CheckState>( state ) == Qt::CheckState::Checked );
+  } );
+
+  mCompleterMatchFromStart->setEnabled( mUseCompleter->isChecked() );
+
   connect( mNofColumns, static_cast < void ( QSpinBox::* )( int ) > ( &QSpinBox::valueChanged ), this, &QgsEditorConfigWidget::changed );
 
   layerChanged();
@@ -78,6 +85,8 @@ QVariantMap QgsValueRelationConfigDlg::config()
   cfg.insert( QStringLiteral( "OrderByValue" ), mOrderByValue->isChecked() );
   cfg.insert( QStringLiteral( "FilterExpression" ), mFilterExpression->toPlainText() );
   cfg.insert( QStringLiteral( "UseCompleter" ), mUseCompleter->isChecked() );
+  const Qt::MatchFlags completerMatchFlags { mCompleterMatchFromStart->isChecked() ? Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith : Qt::MatchFlag::MatchContains };
+  cfg.insert( QStringLiteral( "CompleterMatchFlags" ), static_cast<int>( completerMatchFlags ) );
 
   return cfg;
 }
@@ -100,6 +109,9 @@ void QgsValueRelationConfigDlg::setConfig( const QVariantMap &config )
   mOrderByValue->setChecked( config.value( QStringLiteral( "OrderByValue" ) ).toBool() );
   mFilterExpression->setPlainText( config.value( QStringLiteral( "FilterExpression" ) ).toString() );
   mUseCompleter->setChecked( config.value( QStringLiteral( "UseCompleter" ) ).toBool() );
+  // Default is MatchStartsWith for backwards compatibility
+  const Qt::MatchFlags completerMatchFlags { config.contains( QStringLiteral( "CompleterMatchFlags" ) ) ? static_cast<Qt::MatchFlags>( config.value( QStringLiteral( "CompleterMatchFlags" ), Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith ).toInt( ) ) :  Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith };
+  mCompleterMatchFromStart->setChecked( completerMatchFlags.testFlag( Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith ) );
 }
 
 void QgsValueRelationConfigDlg::layerChanged()
diff --git a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationwidgetwrapper.cpp b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationwidgetwrapper.cpp
index 6e7369203617..bfb57306db6f 100644
--- a/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationwidgetwrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationwidgetwrapper.cpp
@@ -560,6 +560,17 @@ void QgsValueRelationWidgetWrapper::populate()
     }
     QStringListModel *m = new QStringListModel( values, mLineEdit );
     QCompleter *completer = new QCompleter( m, mLineEdit );
+
+    const Qt::MatchFlags completerMatchFlags { config().contains( QStringLiteral( "CompleterMatchFlags" ) ) ? static_cast<Qt::MatchFlags>( config().value( QStringLiteral( "CompleterMatchFlags" ), Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith ).toInt( ) ) :  Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith };
+
+    if ( completerMatchFlags.testFlag( Qt::MatchFlag::MatchContains ) )
+    {
+      completer->setFilterMode( Qt::MatchFlag::MatchContains );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      completer->setFilterMode( Qt::MatchFlag::MatchStartsWith );
+    }
     completer->setCaseSensitivity( Qt::CaseInsensitive );
     mLineEdit->setCompleter( completer );
   }
diff --git a/src/ui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlgbase.ui b/src/ui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlgbase.ui
index c6d71b9dd2dd..ebd8ddf7e280 100644
--- a/src/ui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlgbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/editorwidgets/qgsvaluerelationconfigdlgbase.ui
@@ -14,7 +14,26 @@
    <string notr="true">Form</string>
   </property>
   <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout" columnstretch="0,0">
-   <item row="13" column="0" colspan="2">
+   <item row="1" column="1">
+    <widget class="QgsMapLayerComboBox" name="mLayerName"/>
+   </item>
+   <item row="15" column="0" colspan="2">
+    <widget class="QTextEdit" name="mFilterExpression"/>
+   </item>
+   <item row="3" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_7">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Value column</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="buddy">
+      <cstring>mValueColumn</cstring>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="3" column="1">
+    <widget class="QgsFieldComboBox" name="mValueColumn"/>
+   </item>
+   <item row="14" column="0" colspan="2">
     <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
      <item>
       <widget class="QLabel" name="label_19">
@@ -32,7 +51,7 @@
         <enum>Qt::RightToLeft</enum>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset>
+        <iconset resource="../../../images/images.qrc">
          <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/mIconExpression.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/mIconExpression.svg</iconset>
        </property>
       </widget>
@@ -52,23 +71,36 @@
      </item>
     </layout>
    </item>
-   <item row="9" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_nofColumns">
+   <item row="2" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_6">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Number of columns</string>
+      <string>Key column</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="buddy">
+      <cstring>mKeyColumn</cstring>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="14" column="0" colspan="2">
-    <widget class="QTextEdit" name="mFilterExpression"/>
+   <item row="4" column="1">
+    <widget class="QgsFieldExpressionWidget" name="mDescriptionExpression" native="true"/>
    </item>
-   <item row="0" column="0" colspan="2">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_8">
+   <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mAllowMulti">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Select layer, key column and value column</string>
+      <string>Allow multiple selections</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="5" column="0" colspan="2">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mAllowNull">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Allow NULL value</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item row="9" column="1">
+    <widget class="QgsSpinBox" name="mNofColumns"/>
+   </item>
    <item row="1" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_5">
      <property name="text">
@@ -79,30 +111,27 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="3" column="1">
-    <widget class="QgsFieldComboBox" name="mValueColumn"/>
-   </item>
-   <item row="1" column="1">
-    <widget class="QgsMapLayerComboBox" name="mLayerName"/>
+   <item row="2" column="1">
+    <widget class="QgsFieldComboBox" name="mKeyColumn"/>
    </item>
-   <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2">
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mAllowMulti">
+   <item row="9" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_nofColumns">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Allow multiple selections</string>
+      <string>Number of columns</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="5" column="0" colspan="2">
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mAllowNull">
+   <item row="4" column="0">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Allow NULL value</string>
+      <string>Description column</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="11" column="0" colspan="2">
-    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mUseCompleter">
+   <item row="0" column="0" colspan="2">
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_8">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Use completer</string>
+      <string>Select layer, key column and value column</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
@@ -113,42 +142,20 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="2" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_6">
+   <item row="10" column="1">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mCompleterMatchFromStart">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Key column</string>
-     </property>
-     <property name="buddy">
-      <cstring>mKeyColumn</cstring>
+      <string>Only match from the beginning of the string </string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="9" column="1">
-    <widget class="QgsSpinBox" name="mNofColumns"/>
-   </item>
-   <item row="2" column="1">
-    <widget class="QgsFieldComboBox" name="mKeyColumn"/>
-   </item>
-   <item row="3" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label_7">
-     <property name="text">
-      <string>Value column</string>
-     </property>
-     <property name="buddy">
-      <cstring>mValueColumn</cstring>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
-   </item>
-   <item row="4" column="0">
-    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+   <item row="10" column="0">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mUseCompleter">
      <property name="text">
-      <string>Description column</string>
+      <string>Use completer</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="4" column="1">
-    <widget class="QgsFieldExpressionWidget" name="mDescriptionExpression" native="true"/>
-   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
@@ -182,10 +189,11 @@
   <tabstop>mOrderByValue</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mAllowMulti</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mNofColumns</tabstop>
-  <tabstop>mUseCompleter</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mEditExpression</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mFilterExpression</tabstop>
  </tabstops>
- <resources/>
+ <resources>
+  <include location="../../../images/images.qrc"/>
+ </resources>
  <connections/>
 </ui>