diff --git a/src/locatorGenerators.ts b/src/locatorGenerators.ts
index 6643993..db9b666 100644
--- a/src/locatorGenerators.ts
+++ b/src/locatorGenerators.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   parseSelector,
   stringifySelector,
 } from './selectorParser'
+import { Ivya } from '.'
 
 export type Language = 'javascript'
 export type LocatorType =
@@ -417,8 +418,8 @@ export class JavaScriptLocatorFactory implements LocatorFactory {
           attrs.push(`name: ${this.regexToSourceString(options.name)}`)
         } else if (typeof options.name === 'string') {
           attrs.push(`name: ${this.quote(options.name)}`)
-          if (options.exact) {
-            attrs.push(`exact: true`)
+          if (options.exact != null && Ivya.options.exact !== options.exact) {
+            attrs.push(`exact: ${options.exact}`)
           }
         }
         for (const { name, value } of options.attrs!) {
@@ -478,8 +479,8 @@ export class JavaScriptLocatorFactory implements LocatorFactory {
     if (isRegExp(body)) {
       return `${method}(${this.regexToSourceString(body)})`
     }
-    return exact
-      ? `${method}(${this.quote(body)}, { exact: true })`
+    return exact != null && Ivya.options.exact !== exact
+      ? `${method}(${this.quote(body)}, { exact: ${exact} })`
       : `${method}(${this.quote(body)})`
   }
 
diff --git a/test/spec.test.ts b/test/spec.test.ts
index 9e29016..53fceda 100644
--- a/test/spec.test.ts
+++ b/test/spec.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ import {
   Ivya,
   asLocator,
 } from '../src'
-import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { beforeEach, expect, test } from 'vitest'
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  // the default
+  Ivya.options.exact = false
+})
 
 test('works correctly', () => {
   const button = document.createElement('button')
@@ -48,6 +53,64 @@ test('file input', () => {
   )
 })
 
+test('asLocator generates "exact" correctly dependning on the default', () => {
+  Ivya.options.exact = false
+
+  expect(asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello'))).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+    `"getByText('Hello')"`
+  )
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello', { exact: true }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByText('Hello', { exact: true })"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello', { exact: false }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByText('Hello')"`)
+
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello' }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello' })"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator(
+      'javascript',
+      getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: true })
+    )
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: true })"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator(
+      'javascript',
+      getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: false })
+    )
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello' })"`)
+
+  Ivya.options.exact = true
+
+  expect(asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello'))).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+    `"getByText('Hello')"`
+  )
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello', { exact: true }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByText('Hello')"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByTextSelector('Hello', { exact: false }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByText('Hello', { exact: false })"`)
+
+  expect(
+    asLocator('javascript', getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello' }))
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello' })"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator(
+      'javascript',
+      getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: true })
+    )
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello' })"`)
+  expect(
+    asLocator(
+      'javascript',
+      getByRoleSelector('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: false })
+    )
+  ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"getByRole('alert', { name: 'Hello', exact: false })"`)
+})
+
 test('global exact option affects all selector helpers', () => {
   Ivya.options.exact = true