diff --git a/grails-app/conf/application.groovy b/grails-app/conf/application.groovy
index d610a3105..da139f946 100644
--- a/grails-app/conf/application.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/conf/application.groovy
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ if (!ala.baseURL) {
 bie.ws.url = "https://bie-ws.ala.org.au/"
 bie.url = "https://bie.ala.org.au/"
 namesmatching.url = "https://namematching-ws-test.ala.org.au/"
+namematching.strategy = ["exactMatch", "vernacularMatch"]
 
 if (!collectory.baseURL) {
     //collectory.baseURL = "https://collectory-dev.ala.org.au/"
diff --git a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/ParatooService.groovy b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/ParatooService.groovy
index d35a2a46e..577fb5df5 100644
--- a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/ParatooService.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/ParatooService.groovy
@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ class ParatooService {
         }
         // try again with common name
         if ((result.guid == null) && commonName) {
-            resp = speciesReMatchService.searchByName(commonName)
+            resp = speciesReMatchService.searchByName(commonName, false, true)
             if (resp) {
                 result.putAll(resp)
                 result.commonName = commonName
diff --git a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchService.groovy b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchService.groovy
index a88af4a85..b7fb38aad 100644
--- a/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchService.groovy
+++ b/grails-app/services/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchService.groovy
@@ -91,9 +91,14 @@ class SpeciesReMatchService {
         })
     }
 
-    Map searchByName (String name, boolean addDetails = false) {
-        Map result = searchNameMatchingServer(name)
-        if (result) {
+    Map searchByName (String name, boolean addDetails = false, boolean useVernacularSearch = false ) {
+        Map result
+        if (useVernacularSearch)
+            result = searchNameMatchingServer(name)
+        else
+            result = searchByVernacularNameOnNameMatchingServer(name)
+        List strategy = grailsApplication.config.getProperty('namematching.strategy', List)
+        if (strategy.contains(result?.matchType)) {
             Map resp = [
                     scientificName: result.scientificName,
                     commonName: result.vernacularName,
@@ -122,4 +127,18 @@ class SpeciesReMatchService {
             resp
         })
     }
+
+    Map searchByVernacularNameOnNameMatchingServer (String name) {
+        name = name?.toLowerCase() ?: ""
+        cacheService.get('name-matching-server-vernacular-name' + name, {
+            def encodedQuery = URLEncoder.encode(name ?: '', "UTF-8")
+            def url = "${grailsApplication.config.getProperty('namesmatching.url')}api/searchByVernacularName?vernacularName=${encodedQuery}"
+            def resp = webService.getJson(url)
+            if (!resp.success) {
+                return null
+            }
+
+            resp
+        })
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchServiceSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchServiceSpec.groovy
index c848689b5..09dbddcde 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchServiceSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/au/org/ala/ecodata/SpeciesReMatchServiceSpec.groovy
@@ -67,4 +67,69 @@ class SpeciesReMatchServiceSpec extends Specification implements ServiceUnitTest
         result2 == resp2
     }
 
+    void "search name server by name" () {
+        setup:
+        grailsApplication.config.namesmatching.url = "http://localhost:8080/"
+        grailsApplication.config.namesmatching.strategy = ["exactMatch", "vernacularMatch"]
+        def resp  = [
+                "success": true,
+                "scientificName": "Red",
+                "taxonConceptID": "ALA_DR22913_1168_0",
+                "rank": "genus",
+                "rankID": 6000,
+                "lft": 24693,
+                "rgt": 24693,
+                "matchType": "higherMatch",
+                "nameType": "SCIENTIFIC",
+                "kingdom": "Bamfordvirae",
+                "kingdomID": "https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/8TRHY",
+                "phylum": "Nucleocytoviricota",
+                "phylumID": "https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/5G",
+                "classs": "Megaviricetes",
+                "classID": "https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6224M",
+                "order": "Pimascovirales",
+                "orderID": "https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/623FC",
+                "family": "Iridoviridae",
+                "familyID": "https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/BFM",
+                "genus": "Red",
+                "genusID": "ALA_DR22913_1168_0",
+                "issues": [
+                        "noIssue"
+                ]
+        ]
+        service.webService.getJson(_) >> resp
+        when:
+        def result = service.searchByName("name")
+
+        then:
+        result == null
+
+        when:
+        resp.matchType = "exactMatch"
+        def result2 = service.searchByName("name")
+
+        then:
+        service.webService.getJson(_) >> resp
+        result2 == [
+                scientificName: "Red",
+                commonName: null,
+                guid: "ALA_DR22913_1168_0",
+                taxonRank: "genus"
+        ]
+
+        when:
+        resp.matchType = "vernacularMatch"
+        def result3 = service.searchByName("name", false, true)
+
+        then:
+        service.webService.getJson(_) >> resp
+        result3 == [
+                scientificName: "Red",
+                commonName: null,
+                guid: "ALA_DR22913_1168_0",
+                taxonRank: "genus"
+        ]
+
+    }
+
 }