diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9aabbbf75f00c..eeeb752eabdd6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 - Fix remote shards balance ([#15335](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/15335))
 - Always use `constant_score` query for `match_only_text` field ([#16964](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/16964))
 - Fix Shallow copy snapshot failures on closed index ([#16868](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/16868))
+- The `phone-search` analyzer no longer emits the international calling code as a token ([#16993](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/16993))
 
 ### Security
 
diff --git a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/main/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberTermTokenizer.java b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/main/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberTermTokenizer.java
index 6b95594204eb4..90f1c38bd133b 100644
--- a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/main/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberTermTokenizer.java
+++ b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/main/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberTermTokenizer.java
@@ -128,8 +128,11 @@ private Set<String> getTokens() throws IOException {
                 countryCode = Optional.of(String.valueOf(numberProto.getCountryCode()));
                 input = String.valueOf(numberProto.getNationalNumber());
 
-                // Add Country code, extension, and the number as tokens
-                tokens.add(countryCode.get());
+                if (addNgrams) {
+                    // Consider the country code as an ngram - it makes no sense in the search analyzer as it'd match all values with the same country code
+                    tokens.add(countryCode.get());
+                }
+                // Add extension, and the number as tokens
                 tokens.add(countryCode.get() + input);
                 if (!Strings.isEmpty(numberProto.getExtension())) {
                     tokens.add(numberProto.getExtension());
diff --git a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/test/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberAnalyzerTests.java b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/test/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberAnalyzerTests.java
index 332f6d21f47d6..1dc2f32e84921 100644
--- a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/test/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberAnalyzerTests.java
+++ b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/test/java/org/opensearch/analysis/phone/PhoneNumberAnalyzerTests.java
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public void testEuropeDetailledSearch() throws IOException {
         assertTokensAreInAnyOrder(
             phoneSearchAnalyzer,
             "tel:+441344840400",
-            Arrays.asList("tel:+441344840400", "tel:", "441344840400", "44", "1344840400")
+            Arrays.asList("tel:+441344840400", "tel:", "441344840400", "1344840400")
         );
     }
 
@@ -189,21 +189,21 @@ public void testLocalNumberWithCH() throws IOException {
     }
 
     public void testSearchInternationalPrefixWithZZ() throws IOException {
-        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchAnalyzer, "+41583161010", Arrays.asList("41", "41583161010", "583161010"));
+        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchAnalyzer, "+41583161010", Arrays.asList("41583161010", "583161010"));
     }
 
     public void testSearchInternationalPrefixWithCH() throws IOException {
-        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "+41583161010", Arrays.asList("41", "41583161010", "583161010"));
+        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "+41583161010", Arrays.asList("41583161010", "583161010"));
     }
 
     public void testSearchNationalPrefixWithCH() throws IOException {
         // + is equivalent to 00 in Switzerland
-        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "0041583161010", Arrays.asList("41", "41583161010", "583161010"));
+        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "0041583161010", Arrays.asList("41583161010", "583161010"));
     }
 
     public void testSearchLocalNumberWithCH() throws IOException {
         // when omitting the international prefix swiss numbers must start with '0'
-        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "0583161010", Arrays.asList("41", "41583161010", "583161010"));
+        assertTokensInclude(phoneSearchCHAnalyzer, "0583161010", Arrays.asList("41583161010", "583161010"));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/analysis-phone/20_search.yml b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/analysis-phone/20_search.yml
index 0bd7d2c371bfc..91560f3960e53 100644
--- a/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/analysis-phone/20_search.yml
+++ b/plugins/analysis-phonenumber/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/analysis-phone/20_search.yml
@@ -32,9 +32,20 @@
         index:  test
         id:     1
         body:   { "phone": "+41 58 316 10 10", "phone-ch": "058 316 10 10" }
+  - do:
+      index:
+        index:  test
+        id:     2
+        body:   { "phone": "+41 58 316 99 99", "phone-ch": "058 316 99 99" }
+  - do:
+      index:
+        index:  test
+        id:     2
+        body:   { "phone": "+1-888-280-4331", "phone-ch": "+1-888-280-4331" }
   - do:
       indices.refresh: {}
 
+  # international format in document & search will always work
   - do:
       search:
         rest_total_hits_as_int: true
@@ -45,6 +56,7 @@
               "phone": "+41583161010"
   - match: { hits.total: 1 }
 
+  # correct national format & international format in search will always work
   - do:
       search:
         rest_total_hits_as_int: true
@@ -54,3 +66,58 @@
             match:
               "phone-ch": "+41583161010"
   - match: { hits.total: 1 }
+
+  # national format without country specified won't work
+  - do:
+      search:
+        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
+        index: test
+        body:
+          query:
+            match:
+              "phone": "0583161010"
+  - match: { hits.total: 0 }
+
+  # correct national format with country specified in document & search will always work
+  - do:
+      search:
+        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
+        index: test
+        body:
+          query:
+            match:
+              "phone-ch": "0583161010"
+  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
+
+  # international format in document & search will always work
+  - do:
+      search:
+        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
+        index: test
+        body:
+          query:
+            match:
+              "phone": "+1 888 280 4331"
+  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
+
+  # international format in document & search will always work
+  - do:
+      search:
+        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
+        index: test
+        body:
+          query:
+            match:
+              "phone-ch": "+1 888 280 4331"
+  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
+
+  # national format in search won't work if no country is specified
+  - do:
+      search:
+        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
+        index: test
+        body:
+          query:
+            match:
+              "phone": "888 280 4331"
+  - match: { hits.total: 0 }