diff --git a/mapit/views/areas.py b/mapit/views/areas.py
index 7b385a32..6bc2aa7f 100644
--- a/mapit/views/areas.py
+++ b/mapit/views/areas.py
@@ -252,12 +252,27 @@ def areas_by_type(request, type, format='json'):
 
 @ratelimit(minutes=3, requests=100)
 def areas_by_name(request, name, format='json'):
+    fuzzy = request.GET.get('fuzzy', '')
+    if fuzzy.lower() in ['true', '1']:
+        return areas_by_name_fuzzy(request, name, format)
+
     args = query_args(request, format)
     args['name__istartswith'] = name
     areas = Area.objects.filter(**args)
     return output_areas(request, _('Areas starting with %s') % name, format, areas)
 
 
+@ratelimit(minutes=3, requests=100)
+def areas_by_name_fuzzy(request, name, format='json'):
+    args = query_args(request, format)
+    args['name__similar'] = name
+    areas = Area.objects.filter(**args)\
+                .extra(select={'distance': "similarity(mapit_area.name, %s)"},
+                       select_params=[name])\
+                .order_by('-distance')
+    return output_areas(request, 'Areas matching %s' % name, format, areas)
+
+
 @ratelimit(minutes=3, requests=100)
 def areas_polygon(request, area_ids, srid='', format='kml'):
     area_ids = area_ids.split(',')
diff --git a/project/settings.py b/project/settings.py
index cbd5c685..43d628f0 100644
--- a/project/settings.py
+++ b/project/settings.py
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@
     'django.contrib.admin',
     'django.contrib.gis',
     'django.contrib.staticfiles',
+    'djorm_pgtrgm',
     'mapit',
 ]