diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger.go
index e59388ff07f1..8498da114ee3 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger.go
@@ -161,9 +161,29 @@ func contains(enabledPartial []string, catalogerName string) bool {
 		if partial == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		if strings.Contains(catalogerName, partial) {
+		if hasFullWord(partial, catalogerName) {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+func hasFullWord(targetPhrase, candidate string) bool {
+	if targetPhrase == "cataloger" || targetPhrase == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	start := strings.Index(candidate, targetPhrase)
+	if start == -1 {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if start > 0 && candidate[start-1] != '-' {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	end := start + len(targetPhrase)
+	if end < len(candidate) && candidate[end] != '-' {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger_test.go
index 5dfd5ccb26d2..35cde7797d05 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/cataloger_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,38 @@ func (d dummy) Catalog(_ source.FileResolver) ([]pkg.Package, []artifact.Relatio
 }
 
 func Test_filterCatalogers(t *testing.T) {
+	largeCatalogerList := []string{
+		"alpmdb-cataloger",
+		"apkdb-cataloger",
+		"binary-cataloger",
+		"conan-cataloger",
+		"dartlang-lock-cataloger",
+		"dpkgdb-cataloger",
+		"dotnet-deps-cataloger",
+		"elixir-mix-lock-cataloger",
+		"erlang-rebar-lock-cataloger",
+		"go-mod-file-cataloger",
+		"go-module-binary-cataloger",
+		"haskell-cataloger",
+		"graalvm-native-image-cataloger",
+		"java-cataloger",
+		"java-pom-cataloger",
+		"javascript-package-cataloger",
+		"javascript-lock-cataloger",
+		"php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+		"php-composer-lock-cataloger",
+		"portage-cataloger",
+		"python-index-cataloger",
+		"python-package-cataloger",
+		"rpm-db-cataloger",
+		"rpm-file-cataloger",
+		"ruby-gemfile-cataloger",
+		"ruby-gemspec-cataloger",
+		"rust-cargo-lock-cataloger",
+		"cargo-auditable-binary-cataloger",
+		"sbom-cataloger",
+		"cocoapods-cataloger",
+	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name       string
 		patterns   []string
@@ -144,6 +176,43 @@ func Test_filterCatalogers(t *testing.T) {
 				"go-module-binary-cataloger",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "don't cross match ecosystems with matching prefix",
+			patterns: []string{
+				"java-cataloger",
+			},
+			catalogers: []string{
+				"javascript-package-cataloger",
+				"java-cataloger",
+			},
+			want: []string{
+				"java-cataloger",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "don't cross match ecosystems with short, common name",
+			patterns: []string{
+				"go",
+			},
+			catalogers: largeCatalogerList,
+			want: []string{
+				"go-mod-file-cataloger",
+				"go-module-binary-cataloger",
+				//"rust-cargo-lock-cataloger",  // with naive "contains" matching
+				//"cargo-auditable-binary-cataloger",  // with naive "contains" matching
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "ignore partial matches",
+			patterns: []string{
+				"mod",
+			},
+			catalogers: largeCatalogerList,
+			want: []string{
+				"go-mod-file-cataloger",
+				//"go-module-binary-cataloger", // unfortunately not a full word (this should probably be renamed)
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -162,8 +231,6 @@ func Test_filterCatalogers(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Test_contains(t *testing.T) {
-	type args struct {
-	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name              string
 		enabledCatalogers []string
@@ -201,3 +268,73 @@ func Test_contains(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_hasFullWord(t *testing.T) {
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		targetPhrase string
+		candidate    string
+		want         bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "exact match",
+			targetPhrase: "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "partial, full word match",
+			targetPhrase: "composer",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "partial, full, multi-word match",
+			targetPhrase: "php-composer",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "prefix match",
+			targetPhrase: "php",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "postfix match with -cataloger suffix",
+			targetPhrase: "installed",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "postfix match",
+			targetPhrase: "installed",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed",
+			want:         true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "ignore cataloger keyword",
+			targetPhrase: "cataloger",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "ignore partial match",
+			targetPhrase: "hp",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "ignore empty string",
+			targetPhrase: "",
+			candidate:    "php-composer-installed-cataloger",
+			want:         false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equalf(t, tt.want, hasFullWord(tt.targetPhrase, tt.candidate), "hasFullWord(%v, %v)", tt.targetPhrase, tt.candidate)
+		})
+	}
+}