diff --git a/dist/java/src/mp/code/Workspace.java b/dist/java/src/mp/code/Workspace.java
index ddc971a..3b5da95 100644
--- a/dist/java/src/mp/code/Workspace.java
+++ b/dist/java/src/mp/code/Workspace.java
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ public class Workspace {
 		return Optional.ofNullable(get_buffer(this.ptr, path));
 	}
 
-	private static native String[] get_file_tree(long self, String filter);
-	public String[] getFileTree(Optional<String> filter) {
-		return get_file_tree(this.ptr, filter.orElse(null));
+	private static native String[] get_file_tree(long self, String filter, boolean strict);
+	public String[] getFileTree(Optional<String> filter, boolean strict) {
+		return get_file_tree(this.ptr, filter.orElse(null), strict);
 	}
 
 	private static native void create_buffer(String path) throws ConnectionRemoteException;
diff --git a/dist/lua/annotations.lua b/dist/lua/annotations.lua
index 0f5e822..8e19337 100644
--- a/dist/lua/annotations.lua
+++ b/dist/lua/annotations.lua
@@ -147,10 +147,11 @@ function Workspace:attach_buffer(path) end
 ---detach from an active buffer, closing all streams. returns false if buffer was no longer active
 function Workspace:detach_buffer(path) end
 
----@param filter? string only return elements starting with given filter
+---@param filter? string apply a filter to the return elements
+---@param strict boolean whether to strictly match or just check whether it starts with it
 ---@return string[]
 ---return the list of available buffers in this workspace, as relative paths from workspace root
-function Workspace:filetree(filter) end
+function Workspace:filetree(filter, strict) end
 
 ---@return NilPromise
 ---@async
diff --git a/dist/py/src/codemp/codemp.pyi b/dist/py/src/codemp/codemp.pyi
index 6e064e8..dae26f7 100644
--- a/dist/py/src/codemp/codemp.pyi
+++ b/dist/py/src/codemp/codemp.pyi
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class Workspace:
 	def cursor(self) 							-> CursorController: ...
 	def buffer_by_name(self, path: str) 		-> Optional[BufferController]: ...
 	def buffer_list(self) 						-> list[str]: ...
-	def filetree(self, filter: Optional[str]) 	-> list[str]: ...
+	def filetree(self, filter: Optional[str], strict: bool) -> list[str]: ...
 
 class TextChange:
 	"""
diff --git a/src/ffi/java/workspace.rs b/src/ffi/java/workspace.rs
index 2a21649..f024eda 100644
--- a/src/ffi/java/workspace.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/java/workspace.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use jni::{objects::{JClass, JObject, JString, JValueGen}, sys::{jlong, jobject, jobjectArray, jstring}, JNIEnv};
+use jni::{objects::{JClass, JObject, JString, JValueGen}, sys::{jboolean, jlong, jobject, jobjectArray, jstring}, JNIEnv};
 use crate::Workspace;
 
 use super::{JExceptable, JObjectify, RT};
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_mp_code_Workspace_get_1file_1tree(
 	mut env: JNIEnv,
 	_class: JClass,
 	self_ptr: jlong,
-	filter: JString 
+	filter: JString,
+	strict: jboolean
 ) -> jobjectArray {
 	let workspace = unsafe { Box::leak(Box::from_raw(self_ptr as *mut Workspace)) };
 	let filter: Option<String> = if filter.is_null() {
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_mp_code_Workspace_get_1file_1tree(
 		)
 	};
 
-	let file_tree = workspace.filetree(filter.as_deref());
+	let file_tree = workspace.filetree(filter.as_deref(), strict != 0);
 	env.find_class("java/lang/String")
 		.and_then(|class| env.new_object_array(file_tree.len() as i32, class, JObject::null()))
 		.inspect(|arr| {
diff --git a/src/ffi/js/workspace.rs b/src/ffi/js/workspace.rs
index 0711beb..a470c2e 100644
--- a/src/ffi/js/workspace.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/js/workspace.rs
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ impl Workspace {
 	}
 	
 	#[napi(js_name = "filetree")]
-	pub fn js_filetree(&self, filter: Option<&str>) -> Vec<String> {
-		self.filetree(filter)
+	pub fn js_filetree(&self, filter: Option<&str>, strict: bool) -> Vec<String> {
+		self.filetree(filter, strict)
 	}
 
 	#[napi(js_name = "cursor")]
diff --git a/src/ffi/lua.rs b/src/ffi/lua.rs
index 756e45a..4a80bab 100644
--- a/src/ffi/lua.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/lua.rs
@@ -294,8 +294,8 @@ impl LuaUserData for CodempWorkspace {
 		// 	Ok(())
 		// });
 
-		methods.add_method("filetree", |_, this, (filter,):(Option<String>,)|
-			Ok(this.filetree(filter.as_deref()))
+		methods.add_method("filetree", |_, this, (filter, strict,):(Option<String>, bool,)|
+			Ok(this.filetree(filter.as_deref(), strict))
 		);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/ffi/python/workspace.rs b/src/ffi/python/workspace.rs
index c9b12e8..1a10f4d 100644
--- a/src/ffi/python/workspace.rs
+++ b/src/ffi/python/workspace.rs
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ impl Workspace {
 	}
 
 	#[pyo3(name = "filetree")]
-	#[pyo3(signature = (filter=None))]
-	fn pyfiletree(&self, filter: Option<&str>) -> Vec<String> {
-		self.filetree(filter)
+	#[pyo3(signature = (filter=None, strict=false))]
+	fn pyfiletree(&self, filter: Option<&str>, strict: bool) -> Vec<String> {
+		self.filetree(filter, strict)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/workspace.rs b/src/workspace.rs
index c8ed85c..a59af0d 100644
--- a/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/src/workspace.rs
@@ -279,10 +279,17 @@ impl Workspace {
 	}
 
 	/// Get the filetree as it is currently cached.
+	/// A filter may be applied, and it may be strict (equality check) or not (starts_with check).
 	// #[cfg_attr(feature = "js", napi)] // https://github.com/napi-rs/napi-rs/issues/1120
-	pub fn filetree(&self, filter: Option<&str>) -> Vec<String> {
+	pub fn filetree(&self, filter: Option<&str>, strict: bool) -> Vec<String> {
 		self.0.filetree.iter()
-			.filter(|f| filter.map_or(true, |flt| f.starts_with(flt)))
+			.filter(|f| filter.map_or(true, |flt| {
+				if strict {
+					f.eq(flt)
+				} else {
+					f.starts_with(flt)
+				}
+			}))
 			.map(|f| f.clone())
 			.collect()
 	}