diff --git a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/config.test.js.snap b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/config.test.js.snap
index 0c3799d49..a3a0f3775 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/config.test.js.snap
+++ b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/config.test.js.snap
@@ -7,6 +7,23 @@ Object {
   "bootstrapConcurrency": 100,
   "bootstrapIndexName": "npm-search-bootstrap",
   "indexName": "fake-index",
+  "indexRules": Array [
+    Object {
+      "condition": Object {
+        "anchoring": "is",
+        "pattern": "{facet:concatenatedName}",
+      },
+      "consequence": Object {
+        "params": Object {
+          "automaticOptionalFacetFilters": Array [
+            "concatenatedName",
+          ],
+        },
+      },
+      "description": "promote exact matches",
+      "objectID": "promote-exact",
+    },
+  ],
   "indexSettings": Object {
     "attributesForFaceting": Array [
       "filterOnly(concatenatedName)",
@@ -58,13 +75,17 @@ Object {
       "owners.name",
     ],
     "separatorsToIndex": "_",
-    "synonyms": Array [
-      Array [
+  },
+  "indexSynonyms": Array [
+    Object {
+      "objectID": "underscore",
+      "synonyms": Array [
         "_",
         "underscore",
       ],
-    ],
-  },
+      "type": "synonym",
+    },
+  ],
   "maxObjSize": 450000,
   "npmDownloadsEndpoint": "https://api.npmjs.org/downloads",
   "npmRegistryEndpoint": "https://replicate.npmjs.com/registry",
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index 87f7dbfcb..5f98463ca 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -53,9 +53,30 @@ const defaultConfig = {
     ],
     optionalWords: ['js', 'javascript'],
     separatorsToIndex: '_',
-    synonyms: [['_', 'underscore']],
     replaceSynonymsInHighlight: false,
   },
+  indexSynonyms: [
+    {
+      type: 'synonym',
+      synonyms: ['_', 'underscore'],
+      objectID: 'underscore',
+    },
+  ],
+  indexRules: [
+    {
+      objectID: 'promote-exact',
+      description: 'promote exact matches',
+      condition: {
+        pattern: '{facet:concatenatedName}',
+        anchoring: 'is',
+      },
+      consequence: {
+        params: {
+          automaticOptionalFacetFilters: ['concatenatedName'],
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  ],
 };
 
 export default Object.entries(defaultConfig).reduce(
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index e66fc924d..e914e6298 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ const { index: mainIndex, client } = createAlgoliaIndex(c.indexName);
 const { index: bootstrapIndex } = createAlgoliaIndex(c.bootstrapIndexName);
 const stateManager = createStateManager(mainIndex);
 
-mainIndex
-  .setSettings(c.indexSettings)
-  .then(({ taskID }) => mainIndex.waitTask(taskID))
+setSettings(mainIndex)
+  .then(() => setSettings(bootstrapIndex))
   .then(() => stateManager.check())
   .then(bootstrap)
   .then(() => stateManager.get())
@@ -35,6 +34,18 @@ mainIndex
   .then(watch)
   .catch(error);
 
+async function setSettings(index) {
+  await index.setSettings(c.indexSettings);
+  await index.batchSynonyms(c.indexSynonyms, {
+    replaceExistingSynonyms: true,
+  });
+  const { taskID } = await index.batchRules(c.indexRules, {
+    replaceExistingRules: true,
+  });
+
+  return index.waitTask(taskID);
+}
+
 function infoChange(seq, nbChanges, emoji) {
   return npm.info().then(npmInfo => {
     const ratePerSecond = nbChanges / ((Date.now() - loopStart) / 1000);