diff --git a/telethon/session.py b/telethon/session.py
index e168e559..16232b14 100644
--- a/telethon/session.py
+++ b/telethon/session.py
@@ -438,13 +438,19 @@ class Session:
                           (phone,))
             else:
                 username, _ = utils.parse_username(key)
-                c.execute('select id, hash from entities where username=?',
-                          (username,))
+                if username:
+                    c.execute('select id, hash from entities where username=?',
+                              (username,))
 
         if isinstance(key, int):
             c.execute('select id, hash from entities where id=?', (key,))
 
         result = c.fetchone()
+        if not result and isinstance(key, str):
+            # Try exact match by name if phone/username failed
+            c.execute('select id, hash from entities where name=?', (key,))
+            result = c.fetchone()
+
         c.close()
         if result:
             i, h = result  # unpack resulting tuple
diff --git a/telethon/telegram_client.py b/telethon/telegram_client.py
index 118f1f53..10dbb8c5 100644
--- a/telethon/telegram_client.py
+++ b/telethon/telegram_client.py
@@ -1915,9 +1915,9 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
                 if user.phone == phone:
                     return user
         else:
-            string, is_join_chat = utils.parse_username(string)
+            username, is_join_chat = utils.parse_username(string)
             if is_join_chat:
-                invite = self(CheckChatInviteRequest(string))
+                invite = self(CheckChatInviteRequest(username))
                 if isinstance(invite, ChatInvite):
                     raise ValueError(
                         'Cannot get entity from a channel '
@@ -1925,13 +1925,18 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
                     )
                 elif isinstance(invite, ChatInviteAlready):
                     return invite.chat
-            else:
-                if string in ('me', 'self'):
+            elif username:
+                if username in ('me', 'self'):
                     return self.get_me()
-                result = self(ResolveUsernameRequest(string))
+                result = self(ResolveUsernameRequest(username))
                 for entity in itertools.chain(result.users, result.chats):
-                    if entity.username.lower() == string:
+                    if entity.username.lower() == username:
                         return entity
+            try:
+                # Nobody with this username, maybe it's an exact name/title
+                return self.get_entity(self.get_input_entity(string))
+            except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                pass
 
         raise TypeError(
             'Cannot turn "{}" into any entity (user or chat)'.format(string)