diff --git a/src/groups.js b/src/groups.js
index fbca035cba..7498ea4a2c 100644
--- a/src/groups.js
+++ b/src/groups.js
@@ -57,30 +57,24 @@ var utils = require('../public/src/utils');
 	};
 
 	Groups.getGroupsFromSet = function (set, uid, start, stop, callback) {
-		var method;
-		var args;
-		if (set === 'groups:visible:name') {
-			method = db.getSortedSetRangeByLex;
-			args = [set, '-', '+', start, stop - start + 1, done];
-		} else {
-			method = db.getSortedSetRevRange;
-			args = [set, start, stop, done];
-		}
-		method.apply(null, args);
-
-		function done(err, groupNames) {
-			if (err) {
-				return callback(err);
-			}
+		async.waterfall([
+			function (next) {
+				if (set === 'groups:visible:name') {
+					db.getSortedSetRangeByLex(set, '-', '+', start, stop - start + 1, next);
+				} else {
+					db.getSortedSetRevRange(set, start, stop, next);
+				}
+			},
+			function (groupNames, next) {
+				if (set === 'groups:visible:name') {
+					groupNames = groupNames.map(function (name) {
+						return name.split(':')[1];
+					});
+				}
 
-			if (set === 'groups:visible:name') {
-				groupNames = groupNames.map(function (name) {
-					return name.split(':')[1];
-				});
+				Groups.getGroupsAndMembers(groupNames, next);
 			}
-
-			Groups.getGroupsAndMembers(groupNames, callback);
-		}
+		], callback);
 	};
 
 	Groups.getGroups = function (set, start, stop, callback) {
diff --git a/src/groups/create.js b/src/groups/create.js
index 1d16ea33cf..a59567afe6 100644
--- a/src/groups/create.js
+++ b/src/groups/create.js
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ module.exports = function (Groups) {
 			return callback(new Error('[[error:group-name-too-long]]'));
 		}
 
+		if (!Groups.isPrivilegeGroup(name) && name.indexOf(':') !== -1) {
+			return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-group-name]]'));
+		}
+
 		if (name.indexOf('/') !== -1 || !utils.slugify(name)) {
 			return callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-group-name]]'));
 		}
diff --git a/test/groups.js b/test/groups.js
index 182910bc32..81d37ed833 100644
--- a/test/groups.js
+++ b/test/groups.js
@@ -255,6 +255,13 @@ describe('Groups', function () {
 				done();
 			});
 		});
+
+		it('should fail if group name is invalid', function (done) {
+			Groups.create({name: 'not:valid'}, function (err) {
+				assert.equal(err.message, '[[error:invalid-group-name]]');
+				done();
+			});
+		});
 	});
 
 	describe('.hide()', function () {