diff --git a/assets/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js b/assets/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
index 15e4fd3dec..b9ddc43b82 100644
--- a/assets/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
+++ b/assets/js/controllers/groupsCtrl.js
@@ -119,14 +119,25 @@ habitrpg.controller("GroupsCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', 'Groups', '$http', 'A
         });
       }
 
+
+      // TODO Figure out a better way to set variables on GroupsCtrl scope
+      var groupsCtrl = angular.element($('#groups-controller')).scope();
       $scope.group = $scope.groups.party;
       $scope.join = function(party){
-        // workaround since group isn't currently a resource, this won't get saved to the server
         var group = new Groups({_id: party.id, name: party.name});
-        group.$join();
+        // there a better way to access GroupsCtrl.groups.party?
+        groupsCtrl.groups.party = group.$join(function(){
+          groupsCtrl.safeApply(function(){
+            User.user.invitations.party = undefined;
+          })
+        });
       }
       $scope.leave = function(group){
-        group.$leave();
+        group.$leave(function(){
+          groupsCtrl.safeApply(function(){
+            groupsCtrl.groups.party = {};
+          })
+        });
       }
       $scope.reject = function(){
         User.user.invitations.party = undefined;
diff --git a/assets/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js b/assets/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
index 1f231d7ad3..d45548792d 100644
--- a/assets/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
+++ b/assets/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$
   $rootScope.settings = User.settings;
   $rootScope.flash = {errors: [], warnings: []};
 
+  $scope.safeApply = function(fn) {
+    var phase = this.$root.$$phase;
+    if(phase == '$apply' || phase == '$digest') {
+      if(fn && (typeof(fn) === 'function')) {
+        fn();
+      }
+    } else {
+      this.$apply(fn);
+    }
+  };
+
   /*
    FIXME this is dangerous, organize helpers.coffee better, so we can group them by which controller needs them,
    and then simply _.defaults($scope, Helpers.user) kinda thing
diff --git a/src/controllers/groups.js b/src/controllers/groups.js
index 89726d9ee4..bd3235cd73 100644
--- a/src/controllers/groups.js
+++ b/src/controllers/groups.js
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ api.invite = function(req, res, next) {
       invite.save();
       Group.findById(group._id)
         .populate('members', partyFields).exec(function(err, saved){
-          res.json(group);
+          res.json(saved);
         });
 
     }
diff --git a/views/options/groups/group.jade b/views/options/groups/group.jade
index 592430a901..048ce961f1 100644
--- a/views/options/groups/group.jade
+++ b/views/options/groups/group.jade
@@ -13,15 +13,15 @@ a.pull-right.gem-wallet(rel='popover', data-trigger='hover', data-title='Guild B
             div(style='height:10px')
               a.pull-right(x-bind='click:toggleGroupEdit', data-gid='{{group.id}}')
                 i.icon-ok
-            input.option-content(type='text', value='{group.name}', placeholder='Group Name')
+            input.option-content(type='text', value='{{group.name}}', placeholder='Group Name')
             textarea(cols='3', placeholder='Description') {{group.description}}
-            input.option-content(type='url', placeholder='Logo Url', value='{group.logo}')
+            input.option-content(type='url', placeholder='Logo Url', value='{{group.logo}}')
             form.form-inline(x-bind='submit:groupAddWebsite')
-              input.option-content(type='url', placeholder='Website', value='{_newGroupWebsite}')
+              input.option-content(type='url', placeholder='Website', value='{{_newGroupWebsite}}')
               input(type='submit', value='Add')
             h4 Assign Group Leader
             select#group-leader-selection
-              option(ng-repeat='memberId in group.members', selected='{equal(memberId,_new.groupLeader)}') {{username(_members[memberId].auth,_members[memberId].profile.name)}}
+              option(ng-repeat='memberId in group.members', selected='memberId == _new.groupLeader') {{username(_members[memberId].auth,_members[memberId].profile.name)}}
             button(x-bind='click:assignGroupLeader') Assign
             div(ng-show='group.websites')
               h4 Resources
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ a.pull-right.gem-wallet(rel='popover', data-trigger='hover', data-title='Guild B
                 li
                   a(ng-repeat='website in group.websites', x-bind='click:removeAt')
                     i.icon-trash
-                  a(target='_blank', href='{website}') {{website}}
+                  a(target='_blank', href='{{website}}') {{website}}
           div(ng-show='!_editing.groups[group.id]')
-            img.pull-right(ng-show='group.logo', style='max-width:150px', src='{group.logo}')
+            img.pull-right(ng-show='group.logo', style='max-width:150px', ng-src='{{group.logo}}')
             a.pull-right(ng-if='group.leader==user.id', x-bind='click:toggleGroupEdit', data-gid='{{group.id}}')
               i.icon-pencil
             div {{group.description}}
diff --git a/views/options/groups/index.jade b/views/options/groups/index.jade
index 07884f1195..11b7973791 100644
--- a/views/options/groups/index.jade
+++ b/views/options/groups/index.jade
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-div(ng-controller='GroupsCtrl')
+div#groups-controller(ng-controller='GroupsCtrl')
 
   // FIXME note, due to https://github.com/angular-ui/bootstrap/issues/783 we can't use nested angular-bootstrap tabs
   // Subscribe to that ticket & change this when they fix
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ div(ng-controller='GroupsCtrl')
       a(data-target='#groups-guilds', data-toggle='tab', ng-click='fetchGuilds()') Guilds
 
   .tab-content(ng-controller='PartyCtrl')
-    #groups-party.tab-pane.active Party
+    #groups-party.tab-pane.active
       div(ng-show='group._id')
         include ./group
       div(ng-hide='group._id')
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ div(ng-controller='GroupsCtrl')
             {{user.id}}
           include ./create-group
 
-    #groups-guilds.tab-pane(ng-controller='GuildsCtrl') Guilds
+    #groups-guilds.tab-pane(ng-controller='GuildsCtrl')
       ul.nav.nav-tabs
         li.active
           a(data-target='#groups-public-guilds', data-toggle='tab') Public Guilds