diff --git a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
index 4f9472cc6..04880d1d8 100644
--- a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.cpp
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
 
 #include "Config.h"
 
+#include "GlobalStorage.h"
+#include "JobQueue.h"
 #include "utils/CalamaresUtilsSystem.h"
 #include "utils/Logger.h"
 #include "utils/Permissions.h"
 
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QFile>
+#include <QFileInfo>
+
 SetupSudoJob::SetupSudoJob( const QString& group )
     : m_sudoGroup( group )
 {
@@ -55,3 +61,123 @@ SetupSudoJob::exec()
 
     return Calamares::JobResult::ok();
 }
+
+STATICTEST QStringList
+groupsInTargetSystem()
+{
+    Calamares::GlobalStorage* gs = Calamares::JobQueue::instance()->globalStorage();
+    QDir targetRoot( gs->value( "rootMountPoint" ).toString() );
+
+    QFileInfo groupsFi( targetRoot.absoluteFilePath( "etc/group" ) );
+    QFile groupsFile( groupsFi.absoluteFilePath() );
+    if ( !groupsFile.open( QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text ) )
+    {
+        return QStringList();
+    }
+    QString groupsData = QString::fromLocal8Bit( groupsFile.readAll() );
+    QStringList groupsLines = groupsData.split( '\n' );
+    QStringList::iterator it = groupsLines.begin();
+    while ( it != groupsLines.end() )
+    {
+        if ( it->startsWith( '#' ) )
+        {
+            it = groupsLines.erase( it );
+            continue;
+        }
+        int indexOfFirstToDrop = it->indexOf( ':' );
+        if ( indexOfFirstToDrop < 1 )
+        {
+            it = groupsLines.erase( it );
+            continue;
+        }
+        it->truncate( indexOfFirstToDrop );
+        ++it;
+    }
+    return groupsLines;
+}
+
+/** @brief Create groups in target system as needed
+ *
+ * Given a list of groups that already exist, @p availableGroups,
+ * go through the @p wantedGroups and create each of them. Groups that
+ * fail, or which should have already been there, are added to
+ * @p missingGroups by name.
+ */
+static bool
+ensureGroupsExistInTarget( const QList< GroupDescription >& wantedGroups,
+                           const QStringList& availableGroups,
+                           QStringList& missingGroups )
+{
+    int failureCount = 0;
+
+    for ( const auto& group : wantedGroups )
+    {
+        int groupaddResult = 0;
+        if ( group.isValid() && !availableGroups.contains( group.name() ) )
+        {
+            if ( group.mustAlreadyExist() )
+            {
+                // Should have been there already: don't create it
+                missingGroups.append( group.name() );
+                continue;
+            }
+
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+            groupaddResult
+                = CalamaresUtils::System::instance()->targetEnvCall( { "pw", "groupadd", "-n", group.name() } );
+#else
+            groupaddResult = CalamaresUtils::System::instance()->targetEnvCall( { "groupadd", group.name() } );
+#endif
+            if ( groupaddResult )
+            {
+                failureCount++;
+                missingGroups.append( group.name() + QChar( '*' ) );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if ( !missingGroups.isEmpty() )
+    {
+        cWarning() << "Missing groups in target system (* for groupadd failure):" << Logger::DebugList( missingGroups );
+    }
+    return failureCount == 0;
+}
+
+SetupGroupsJob::SetupGroupsJob( const Config* config, const QString& autologinGroup )
+    : m_autologinGroup( autologinGroup )
+    , m_config( config )
+{
+}
+
+QString
+SetupGroupsJob::prettyName() const
+{
+    return tr( "Preparing groups." );
+}
+
+Calamares::JobResult
+SetupGroupsJob::exec()
+{
+    const auto& defaultGroups = m_config->defaultGroups();
+    QStringList availableGroups = groupsInTargetSystem();
+    QStringList missingGroups;
+
+    if ( !ensureGroupsExistInTarget( defaultGroups, availableGroups, missingGroups ) )
+    {
+        return Calamares::JobResult::error( tr( "Could not create groups in target system" ) );
+    }
+    if ( !missingGroups.isEmpty() )
+    {
+        return Calamares::JobResult::error(
+            tr( "Could not create groups in target system" ),
+            tr( "These groups are missing in the target system: %1" ).arg( missingGroups.join( ',' ) ) );
+    }
+
+    if ( m_config->doAutoLogin() && !m_config->autologinGroup().isEmpty() )
+    {
+        const QString autologinGroup = m_config->autologinGroup();
+        (void)ensureGroupsExistInTarget(
+            QList< GroupDescription >() << GroupDescription( autologinGroup ), availableGroups, missingGroups );
+    }
+
+    return Calamares::JobResult::ok();
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.h b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.h
index 2f8055e8a..8065079ce 100644
--- a/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.h
+++ b/src/modules/users/MiscJobs.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 #include "Job.h"
 
+class Config;
+
 class SetupSudoJob : public Calamares::Job
 {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -31,4 +33,18 @@ public:
     QString m_sudoGroup;
 };
 
+class SetupGroupsJob : public Calamares::Job
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+    SetupGroupsJob( const Config* config, const QString& autologinGroup );
+    QString prettyName() const override;
+    Calamares::JobResult exec() override;
+
+public:
+    QString m_autologinGroup;
+    const Config* m_config;
+};
+
 #endif