diff --git a/src/modules/users/Config.cpp b/src/modules/users/Config.cpp
index dc50f42c5..fff6e3960 100644
--- a/src/modules/users/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/users/Config.cpp
@@ -136,6 +136,24 @@ Config::setAutologinGroup( const QString& group )
     }
 }
 
+QStringList
+Config::groupsForThisUser() const
+{
+    QStringList l;
+    l.reserve( defaultGroups().size() + 1 );
+
+    for ( const auto& g : defaultGroups() )
+    {
+        l << g.name();
+    }
+    if ( doAutoLogin() && !autologinGroup().isEmpty() )
+    {
+        l << autologinGroup();
+    }
+
+    return l;
+}
+
 void
 Config::setSudoersGroup( const QString& group )
 {
diff --git a/src/modules/users/Config.h b/src/modules/users/Config.h
index 57da73e30..d4bfee4a4 100644
--- a/src/modules/users/Config.h
+++ b/src/modules/users/Config.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ public:
 
     bool isValid() const { return m_isValid; }
     bool isSystemGroup() const { return m_isSystem; }
+    bool mustAlreadyExist() const { return m_mustAlreadyExist; }
     QString name() const { return m_name; }
 
     ///@brief Equality of groups depends only on name and kind
@@ -213,6 +214,11 @@ public:
     bool requireStrongPasswords() const { return m_requireStrongPasswords; }
 
     const QList< GroupDescription >& defaultGroups() const { return m_defaultGroups; }
+    /** @brief the names of all the groups for the current user
+     *
+     * Takes into account defaultGroups and autologin behavior.
+     */
+    QStringList groupsForThisUser() const;
 
     // The user enters a password (and again in a separate UI element)
     QString userPassword() const { return m_userPassword; }
diff --git a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
index 04880d1d8..b6fbe55db 100644
--- a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ ensureGroupsExistInTarget( const QList< GroupDescription >& wantedGroups,
 
     for ( const auto& group : wantedGroups )
     {
-        int groupaddResult = 0;
         if ( group.isValid() && !availableGroups.contains( group.name() ) )
         {
             if ( group.mustAlreadyExist() )
@@ -122,13 +121,22 @@ ensureGroupsExistInTarget( const QList< GroupDescription >& wantedGroups,
                 continue;
             }
 
+            QStringList cmd;
 #ifdef __FreeBSD__
-            groupaddResult
-                = CalamaresUtils::System::instance()->targetEnvCall( { "pw", "groupadd", "-n", group.name() } );
+            if ( group.isSystemGroup() )
+            {
+                cWarning() << "Ignoring must-be-a-system group for" << group.name() << "on FreeBSD";
+            }
+            cmd = QStringList { "pw", "groupadd", "-n", group.name() };
 #else
-            groupaddResult = CalamaresUtils::System::instance()->targetEnvCall( { "groupadd", group.name() } );
+            cmd << QStringLiteral( "groupadd" );
+            if ( group.isSystemGroup() )
+            {
+                cmd << "--system";
+            }
+            cmd << group.name();
 #endif
-            if ( groupaddResult )
+            if ( CalamaresUtils::System::instance()->targetEnvCall( cmd ) )
             {
                 failureCount++;
                 missingGroups.append( group.name() + QChar( '*' ) );