diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index e9dca26896..194283b400 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     "chatMessageDelay": 200,
     "newbiePostDelayThreshold": 3,
     "postQueueReputationThreshold": 0,
+    "groupsExemptFromPostQueue": ["administrators", "Global Moderators"],
     "minimumPostLength": 8,
     "maximumPostLength": 32767,
     "minimumTagsPerTopic": 0,
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
index b10ebe2c35..096b69026f 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/post.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 	"restrictions-new": "New User Restrictions",
 	"restrictions.post-queue": "Enable post queue",
 	"restrictions.post-queue-rep-threshold": "Reputation required to bypass post queue",
+	"restrictions.groups-exempt-from-post-queue": "Select groups that should be exempt from the post queue",
 	"restrictions-new.post-queue": "Enable new user restrictions",
 	"restrictions.post-queue-help": "Enabling post queue will put the posts of new users in a queue for approval",
 	"restrictions-new.post-queue-help": "Enabling new user restrictions will set restrictions on posts created by new users",
diff --git a/src/controllers/admin/settings.js b/src/controllers/admin/settings.js
index fee6c423c7..461ef014f7 100644
--- a/src/controllers/admin/settings.js
+++ b/src/controllers/admin/settings.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const meta = require('../../meta');
 const emailer = require('../../emailer');
 const notifications = require('../../notifications');
+const groups = require('../../groups');
 
 const settingsController = module.exports;
 
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ settingsController.get = async function (req, res, next) {
 		await renderEmail(req, res, next);
 	} else if (term === 'user') {
 		await renderUser(req, res, next);
+	} else if (term === 'post') {
+		await renderPost(req, res, next);
 	} else {
 		res.render('admin/settings/' + term);
 	}
@@ -41,3 +44,10 @@ async function renderUser(req, res) {
 		notificationSettings: notificationSettings,
 	});
 }
+
+async function renderPost(req, res) {
+	const groupData = await groups.getNonPrivilegeGroups('groups:createtime', 0, -1);
+	res.render('admin/settings/post', {
+		groupsExemptFromPostQueue: groupData,
+	});
+}
diff --git a/src/groups/update.js b/src/groups/update.js
index 2853ba705c..cc30cb8775 100644
--- a/src/groups/update.js
+++ b/src/groups/update.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const utils = require('../utils');
 const db = require('../database');
 const user = require('../user');
 const batch = require('../batch');
+const meta = require('../meta');
 
 
 module.exports = function (Groups) {
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ module.exports = function (Groups) {
 		await updateMemberGroupTitles(oldName, newName);
 		await updateNavigationItems(oldName, newName);
 		await updateWidgets(oldName, newName);
+		await updateConfig(oldName, newName);
 		await db.setObject('group:' + oldName, { name: newName, slug: utils.slugify(newName) });
 		await db.deleteObjectField('groupslug:groupname', group.slug);
 		await db.setObjectField('groupslug:groupname', utils.slugify(newName), newName);
@@ -245,4 +247,11 @@ module.exports = function (Groups) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	async function updateConfig(oldName, newName) {
+		if (meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue.includes(oldName)) {
+			meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue.splice(meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue.indexOf(oldName), 1, newName);
+			await meta.configs.set('groupsExemptFromPostQueue', meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue);
+		}
+	}
 };
diff --git a/src/meta/configs.js b/src/meta/configs.js
index 9a61488760..0973501ca9 100644
--- a/src/meta/configs.js
+++ b/src/meta/configs.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const Configs = module.exports;
 
 Meta.config = {};
 
+// called after data is loaded from db
 function deserialize(config) {
 	const deserialized = {};
 	Object.keys(config).forEach(function (key) {
@@ -39,6 +40,13 @@ function deserialize(config) {
 			deserialized[key] = defaults[key];
 		} else if (defaultType === 'undefined' && !isNaN(number) && isFinite(config[key])) {
 			deserialized[key] = number;
+		} else if (Array.isArray(defaults[key]) && !Array.isArray(config[key])) {
+			try {
+				deserialized[key] = JSON.parse(config[key] || '[]');
+			} catch (err) {
+				winston.error(err);
+				deserialized[key] = defaults[key];
+			}
 		} else {
 			deserialized[key] = config[key];
 		}
@@ -46,7 +54,37 @@ function deserialize(config) {
 	return deserialized;
 }
 
+// called before data is saved to db
+function serialize(config) {
+	const serialized = {};
+	Object.keys(config).forEach(function (key) {
+		const defaultType = typeof defaults[key];
+		const type = typeof config[key];
+		const number = parseFloat(config[key]);
+
+		if (defaultType === 'string' && type === 'number') {
+			serialized[key] = String(config[key]);
+		} else if (defaultType === 'number' && type === 'string') {
+			if (!isNaN(number) && isFinite(config[key])) {
+				serialized[key] = number;
+			} else {
+				serialized[key] = defaults[key];
+			}
+		} else if (config[key] === null) {
+			serialized[key] = defaults[key];
+		} else if (defaultType === 'undefined' && !isNaN(number) && isFinite(config[key])) {
+			serialized[key] = number;
+		} else if (Array.isArray(defaults[key]) && Array.isArray(config[key])) {
+			serialized[key] = JSON.stringify(config[key]);
+		} else {
+			serialized[key] = config[key];
+		}
+	});
+	return serialized;
+}
+
 Configs.deserialize = deserialize;
+Configs.serialize = serialize;
 
 Configs.init = async function () {
 	const config = await Configs.list();
@@ -92,15 +130,15 @@ Configs.set = async function (field, value) {
 };
 
 Configs.setMultiple = async function (data) {
-	data = deserialize(data);
 	await processConfig(data);
+	data = serialize(data);
 	await db.setObject('config', data);
-	updateConfig(data);
+	updateConfig(deserialize(data));
 };
 
 Configs.setOnEmpty = async function (values) {
 	const data = await db.getObject('config');
-	const config = { ...values, ...(data ? deserialize(data) : {}) };
+	const config = { ...values, ...(data ? serialize(data) : {}) };
 	await db.setObject('config', config);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/posts/queue.js b/src/posts/queue.js
index e48ea5d5c9..04753b04e3 100644
--- a/src/posts/queue.js
+++ b/src/posts/queue.js
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ const socketHelpers = require('../socket.io/helpers');
 module.exports = function (Posts) {
 	Posts.shouldQueue = async function (uid, data) {
 		const userData = await user.getUserFields(uid, ['uid', 'reputation', 'postcount']);
-		const shouldQueue = meta.config.postQueue && (!userData.uid || userData.reputation < meta.config.postQueueReputationThreshold || userData.postcount <= 0);
+		const isMemberOfExempt = await groups.isMemberOfAny(userData.uid, meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue);
+		const shouldQueue = meta.config.postQueue && !isMemberOfExempt && (!userData.uid || userData.reputation < meta.config.postQueueReputationThreshold || userData.postcount <= 0);
 		const result = await plugins.fireHook('filter:post.shouldQueue', {
 			shouldQueue: !!shouldQueue,
 			uid: uid,
diff --git a/src/socket.io/admin.js b/src/socket.io/admin.js
index f433dd8809..15791388ea 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/admin.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/admin.js
@@ -165,10 +165,11 @@ SocketAdmin.config.setMultiple = async function (socket, data) {
 	}
 
 	const changes = {};
-	data = meta.configs.deserialize(data);
-	Object.keys(data).forEach(function (key) {
-		if (data[key] !== meta.config[key]) {
-			changes[key] = data[key];
+	const newData = meta.configs.serialize(data);
+	const oldData = meta.configs.serialize(meta.config);
+	Object.keys(newData).forEach(function (key) {
+		if (newData[key] !== oldData[key]) {
+			changes[key] = newData[key];
 			changes[key + '_old'] = meta.config[key];
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/src/views/admin/settings/post.tpl b/src/views/admin/settings/post.tpl
index e558141158..4a1657b096 100644
--- a/src/views/admin/settings/post.tpl
+++ b/src/views/admin/settings/post.tpl
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@
 					</div>
 				</div>
 			</div>
+			<div class="row">
+				<div class="form-group">
+					<label>[[admin/settings/post:restrictions.groups-exempt-from-post-queue]]</label>
+					<select class="form-control" multiple data-field="groupsExemptFromPostQueue">
+						<!-- BEGIN groupsExemptFromPostQueue -->
+						<option value="{groupsExemptFromPostQueue.displayName}">{groupsExemptFromPostQueue.displayName}</option>
+						<!-- END -->
+					</select>
+				</div>
+			</div>
 		</form>
 	</div>
 </div>
diff --git a/test/posts.js b/test/posts.js
index 546c6b8741..48e9df4200 100644
--- a/test/posts.js
+++ b/test/posts.js
@@ -964,6 +964,7 @@ describe('Post\'s', function () {
 
 		after(function (done) {
 			meta.config.postQueue = 0;
+			meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue = [];
 			done();
 		});
 
@@ -1057,6 +1058,15 @@ describe('Post\'s', function () {
 				done();
 			});
 		});
+
+		it('should bypass post queue if user is in exempt group', function (done) {
+			meta.config.groupsExemptFromPostQueue = ['registered-users'];
+			socketTopics.post({ uid: uid, emit: () => {} }, { title: 'should not be queued', content: 'topic content', cid: cid }, function (err, result) {
+				assert.ifError(err);
+				assert.strictEqual(result.title, 'should not be queued');
+				done();
+			});
+		});
 	});
 
 	describe('upload methods', function () {