diff --git a/src/Components/CreateImageWizard/formComponents/Packages.js b/src/Components/CreateImageWizard/formComponents/Packages.js
index 22f42e01..90f5281f 100644
--- a/src/Components/CreateImageWizard/formComponents/Packages.js
+++ b/src/Components/CreateImageWizard/formComponents/Packages.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState, useRef, useEffect, } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useRef, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import useFormApi from '@data-driven-forms/react-form-renderer/use-form-api';
 import useFieldApi from '@data-driven-forms/react-form-renderer/use-field-api';
 import api from '../../../api';
@@ -31,6 +31,45 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
     const [ filterChosen, setFilterChosen ] = useState('');
     const [ focus, setFocus ] = useState('');
 
+    const searchResultsComparator = useCallback((searchTerm) => {
+        return (a, b) => {
+            // check exact match first
+            if (a.name === searchTerm) {
+                return -1;
+            }
+
+            if (b.name === searchTerm) {
+                return 1;
+            }
+
+            // check for packages that start with the search term
+            if (a.name.startsWith(searchTerm) && !b.name.startsWith(searchTerm)) {
+                return -1;
+            }
+
+            if (b.name.startsWith(searchTerm) && !a.name.startsWith(searchTerm)) {
+                return 1;
+            }
+
+            // if both (or neither) start with the search term
+            // sort alphabetically
+            if (a.name < b.name) {
+                return -1;
+            }
+
+            if (b.name < a.name) {
+                return 1;
+            }
+
+            return 0;
+        };
+    });
+
+    const sortPackages = useCallback((packageList) => {
+        const sortResults = packageList.sort(searchResultsComparator(packagesSearchName.current));
+        setPackagesAvailable(sortResults);
+    });
+
     // call api to list available packages
     const handlePackagesAvailableSearch = async () => {
         const { data } = await api.getPackages(
@@ -38,7 +77,7 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
             getState()?.values?.architecture || defaultArch,
             packagesSearchName.current
         );
-        setPackagesAvailable(data);
+        sortPackages(data);
     };
 
     // filter displayed selected packages
@@ -91,11 +130,11 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
         });
 
         if (fromAvailable) {
-            setPackagesAvailable(updatedSourcePackages);
+            sortPackages(updatedSourcePackages);
             setPackagesChosen([ ...destinationPackages ]);
         } else {
             setPackagesChosen(updatedSourcePackages);
-            setPackagesAvailable([ ...destinationPackages ]);
+            sortPackages([ ...destinationPackages ]);
         }
 
         // set the steps field to the current chosen packages list
@@ -106,9 +145,9 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
     const moveAll = (fromAvailable) => {
         if (fromAvailable) {
             setPackagesChosen([ ...packagesAvailable.filter(pack => !pack.isHidden), ...packagesChosen ]);
-            setPackagesAvailable([ ...packagesAvailable.filter(pack => pack.isHidden) ]);
+            sortPackages([ ...packagesAvailable.filter(pack => pack.isHidden) ]);
         } else {
-            setPackagesAvailable([ ...packagesChosen.filter(pack => !pack.isHidden), ...packagesAvailable ]);
+            sortPackages([ ...packagesChosen.filter(pack => !pack.isHidden), ...packagesAvailable ]);
             setPackagesChosen([ ...packagesChosen.filter(pack => pack.isHidden) ]);
         }
 
@@ -124,7 +163,7 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
         } else {
             const newAvailable = [ ...packagesAvailable ];
             newAvailable[index].selected = !packagesAvailable[index].selected;
-            setPackagesAvailable(newAvailable);
+            sortPackages(newAvailable);
         }
     };
 
@@ -150,7 +189,7 @@ const Packages = ({ defaultArch, ...props }) => {
                         Search
                     </Button>
                 ] }>
-                <DualListSelectorList>
+                <DualListSelectorList data-testid="available-pkgs-list">
                     {packagesAvailable.map((pack, index) => {
                         return !pack.isHidden ? (
                             <DualListSelectorListItem
diff --git a/src/test/Components/CreateImageWizard/CreateImageWizard.test.js b/src/test/Components/CreateImageWizard/CreateImageWizard.test.js
index ac933da1..14cdecfc 100644
--- a/src/test/Components/CreateImageWizard/CreateImageWizard.test.js
+++ b/src/test/Components/CreateImageWizard/CreateImageWizard.test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,36 @@ function verifyCancelButton(cancel, history) {
     expect(history).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/landing');
 }
 
+// packages
+const mockPkgResult = {
+    meta: { count: 100 },
+    links: { first: '', last: '' },
+    data: [
+        {
+            name: 'testPkg',
+            summary: 'test package summary',
+            version: '1.0',
+        },
+        {
+            name: 'lib-test',
+            summary: 'lib-test package summary',
+            version: '1.0',
+        },
+        {
+            name: 'test',
+            summary: 'summary for test package',
+            version: '1.0',
+        }
+    ]
+};
+
+const searchForPackages = async (searchbox, searchTerm) => {
+    userEvent.type(searchbox, searchTerm);
+    await act(async() => {
+        screen.getByTestId('search-available-pkgs-button').click();
+    });
+};
+
 // mock the insights dependency
 beforeAll(() => {
     global.insights = {
@@ -431,6 +461,75 @@ describe('Step Packages', () => {
             name: 'Search button for available packages'
         });
     });
+
+    test('search results should be sorted with most relevant results first', async () => {
+        const searchbox = screen.getAllByRole('textbox')[0]; // searching by id doesn't update the input ref
+
+        searchbox.click();
+
+        const getPackages = jest
+            .spyOn(api, 'getPackages')
+            .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(mockPkgResult));
+
+        await searchForPackages(searchbox, 'test');
+        expect(getPackages).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        const availablePackages = screen.getByTestId('available-pkgs-list');
+        expect(availablePackages.children.length).toEqual(3);
+        const [ firstItem, secondItem, thirdItem ] = availablePackages.children;
+        expect(firstItem).toHaveTextContent('testsummary for test package');
+        expect(secondItem).toHaveTextContent('testPkgtest package summary');
+        expect(thirdItem).toHaveTextContent('lib-testlib-test package summary');
+    });
+
+    test('search results should be sorted after selecting them and then deselecting them', async () => {
+        const searchbox = screen.getAllByRole('textbox')[0]; // searching by id doesn't update the input ref
+
+        searchbox.click();
+
+        const getPackages = jest
+            .spyOn(api, 'getPackages')
+            .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(mockPkgResult));
+
+        await searchForPackages(searchbox, 'test');
+        expect(getPackages).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        screen.getByRole('option', { name: /testPkg test package summary/ }).click();
+        screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Add selected/ }).click();
+
+        screen.getByRole('option', { name: /testPkg test package summary/ }).click();
+        screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Remove selected/ }).click();
+
+        const availablePackages = screen.getByTestId('available-pkgs-list');
+        expect(availablePackages.children.length).toEqual(3);
+        const [ firstItem, secondItem, thirdItem ] = availablePackages.children;
+        expect(firstItem).toHaveTextContent('testsummary for test package');
+        expect(secondItem).toHaveTextContent('testPkgtest package summary');
+        expect(thirdItem).toHaveTextContent('lib-testlib-test package summary');
+    });
+
+    test('search results should be sorted after adding and then removing all packages', async () => {
+        const searchbox = screen.getAllByRole('textbox')[0]; // searching by id doesn't update the input ref
+
+        searchbox.click();
+
+        const getPackages = jest
+            .spyOn(api, 'getPackages')
+            .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(mockPkgResult));
+
+        await searchForPackages(searchbox, 'test');
+        expect(getPackages).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Add all/ }).click();
+        screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Remove all/ }).click();
+
+        const availablePackages = screen.getByTestId('available-pkgs-list');
+        expect(availablePackages.children.length).toEqual(3);
+        const [ firstItem, secondItem, thirdItem ] = availablePackages.children;
+        expect(firstItem).toHaveTextContent('testsummary for test package');
+        expect(secondItem).toHaveTextContent('testPkgtest package summary');
+        expect(thirdItem).toHaveTextContent('lib-testlib-test package summary');
+    });
 });
 
 describe('Step Review', () => {
@@ -527,24 +626,11 @@ describe('Click through all steps', () => {
         // packages
         const getPackages = jest
             .spyOn(api, 'getPackages')
-            .mockImplementation(() => {
-                return Promise.resolve({
-                    meta: { count: 100 },
-                    links: { first: '', last: '' },
-                    data: [
-                        {
-                            name: 'testPkg',
-                            summary: 'test package summary',
-                            version: '1.0',
-                        }
-                    ],
-                });
-            });
+            .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(mockPkgResult));
 
         screen.getByText('Add optional additional packages to your image by searching available packages.');
-        userEvent.type(screen.getByTestId('search-available-pkgs-input'), 'test');
-        screen.getByTestId('search-available-pkgs-button').click();
-        await expect(getPackages).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        await searchForPackages(screen.getByTestId('search-available-pkgs-input'), 'test');
+        expect(getPackages).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
         screen.getByRole('option', { name: /testPkg test package summary/ }).click();
         screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Add selected/ }).click();
         next.click();
@@ -561,7 +647,6 @@ describe('Click through all steps', () => {
         const composeImage = jest
             .spyOn(api, 'composeImage')
             .mockImplementation(body => {
-                console.log(body, 'huuuh!');
                 let id;
                 if (body.image_requests[0].upload_request.type === 'aws') {
                     expect(body).toEqual({