diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
index 9e68cee2..8c263d9e 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-install.c
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ flatpak_builtin_install (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GErro
               if (remotes == NULL)
                 return FALSE;
 
-              if (strchr (argv[1], '/') != NULL || strchr (argv[1], '.') != NULL)
+              if (!flatpak_allow_fuzzy_matching (argv[1]))
                 matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_NONE;
               else
                 matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_FUZZY;
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ flatpak_builtin_install (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GErro
       g_autoptr(GError) local_error = NULL;
       FindMatchingRefsFlags matching_refs_flags;
 
-      if (strchr (pref, '/') != NULL || strchr (pref, '.') != NULL)
+      if (!flatpak_allow_fuzzy_matching (pref))
         matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_NONE;
       else
         matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_FUZZY;
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
index ca9dcdaf..ec780f33 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-uninstall.c
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ flatpak_builtin_uninstall (int argc, char **argv, GCancellable *cancellable, GEr
 
           pref = prefs[j];
 
-          if (strchr (pref, '/') != NULL || strchr (pref, '.') != NULL)
+          if (!flatpak_allow_fuzzy_matching (pref))
             matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_NONE;
           else
             matching_refs_flags = FIND_MATCHING_REFS_FLAGS_FUZZY;
diff --git a/common/flatpak-utils-private.h b/common/flatpak-utils-private.h
index d11339d6..70657075 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-utils-private.h
+++ b/common/flatpak-utils-private.h
@@ -841,6 +841,7 @@ gboolean flatpak_allocate_tmpdir (int           tmpdir_dfd,
                                   GCancellable *cancellable,
                                   GError      **error);
 
+gboolean flatpak_allow_fuzzy_matching (const char *term);
 
 char * flatpak_prompt (gboolean allow_empty,
                        const char *prompt,
diff --git a/common/flatpak-utils.c b/common/flatpak-utils.c
index bfafc229..2e96ce06 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-utils.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-utils.c
@@ -7411,6 +7411,24 @@ flatpak_allocate_tmpdir (int           tmpdir_dfd,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+flatpak_allow_fuzzy_matching (const char *term)
+{
+  if (strchr (term, '/') != NULL || strchr (term, '.') != NULL)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  /* This env var is used by the unit tests and only skips the tty test not the
+   * check above.
+   */
+  if (g_strcmp0 (g_getenv ("FLATPAK_FORCE_ALLOW_FUZZY_MATCHING"), "1") == 0)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if (!isatty (STDIN_FILENO) || !isatty (STDOUT_FILENO))
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 char *
 flatpak_prompt (gboolean allow_empty,
                 const char *prompt, ...)
diff --git a/tests/libtest.sh b/tests/libtest.sh
index e63b9247..965cf667 100644
--- a/tests/libtest.sh
+++ b/tests/libtest.sh
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ export FLATPAK_SYSTEM_HELPER_ON_SESSION=1
 export FLATPAK_CONFIG_DIR=${TEST_DATA_DIR}/config
 export FLATPAK_RUN_DIR=${TEST_DATA_DIR}/run
 export FLATPAK_FANCY_OUTPUT=0
+export FLATPAK_FORCE_ALLOW_FUZZY_MATCHING=1
 
 export HOME=${TEST_DATA_DIR}/home
 export XDG_CACHE_HOME=${TEST_DATA_DIR}/home/cache