diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/AllJobs.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/AllJobs.js
index cc9c03c752..1e3bb3629b 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/AllJobs.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/AllJobs.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ export default
                 columnClass: 'col-lg-2 col-md-3 col-sm-4 col-xs-6',
                 ngClick: "viewJobDetails(all_job)",
                 defaultSearchField: true,
+                searchDefault: true,
             },
             type: {
                 label: 'Type',
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
index fab6588937..dac5d942f2 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobTemplates.js
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ export default
                 key: true,
                 label: 'Name',
                 columnClass: 'col-lg-5 col-md-5 col-sm-9 col-xs-8',
-                linkTo: '/#/job_templates/{{job_template.id}}'
+                linkTo: '/#/job_templates/{{job_template.id}}',
+                searchDefault: true
             },
             description: {
                 label: 'Description',
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
index f92497e7a4..bc8fd40fa8 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/PortalJobs.js
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ export default
                 label: 'Name',
                 columnClass: 'col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-6 List-staticColumnAdjacent',
                 defaultSearchField: true,
-                linkTo: '/#/jobs/{{job.id}}'
+                linkTo: '/#/jobs/{{job.id}}',
+                searchDefault: true
             },
             finished: {
                 label: 'Finished',
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/Projects.js b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/Projects.js
index 43f9983339..a209a9ae1d 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/lists/Projects.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/lists/Projects.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export default
             },
             name: {
                 key: true,
+                searchDefault: true,
                 label: 'Name',
                 columnClass: "col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-sm-5 col-xs-7 List-staticColumnAdjacent",
                 modalColumnClass: 'col-md-8'
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/search/tagSearch.service.js b/awx/ui/client/src/search/tagSearch.service.js
index 4e5e6ae3ec..228bcfeac7 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/search/tagSearch.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/search/tagSearch.service.js
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ export default ['Rest', '$q', 'GetBasePath', 'Wait', 'ProcessErrors', '$log', fu
             type = 'text';
         }
 
+        if (field.searchDefault) {
+            obj.default = true;
+        }
+
         obj.id = id;
         obj.value = value;
         obj.label = label;
@@ -76,10 +80,13 @@ export default ['Rest', '$q', 'GetBasePath', 'Wait', 'ProcessErrors', '$log', fu
         passThrough = partitionedOptions[1];
 
         var joinOptions = function() {
-            return _.sortBy(_
+            var options = _.sortBy(_
                 .flatten([needsRequest, passThrough]), function(opt) {
                     return opt.id;
                 });
+
+            // put default first
+            return _.flatten(_.partition(options, opt => opt.default));
         };
 
         if (needsRequest.length) {