diff --git a/test/api/v3/integration/groups/GET-groups.test.js b/test/api/v3/integration/groups/GET-groups.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b37b87f890
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/api/v3/integration/groups/GET-groups.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import {
+  generateUser,
+  resetHabiticaDB,
+  generateGroup,
+} from '../../../../helpers/api-v3-integration.helper';
+
+describe('GET /groups', () => {
+  let user;
+  const NUMBER_OF_PUBLIC_GUILDS = 3;
+  const NUMBER_OF_USERS_PRIVATE_GUILDS = 1;
+  const NUMBER_OF_GROUPS_USER_CAN_VIEW = 5;
+
+  before(async () => {
+    await resetHabiticaDB();
+
+    let leader = await generateUser({ balance: 10 });
+    user = await generateUser({balance: 4});
+
+    let publicGuildUserIsMemberOf = await generateGroup(leader, {
+      name: 'public guild - is member',
+      type: 'guild',
+      privacy: 'public',
+    });
+    await leader.post(`/groups/${publicGuildUserIsMemberOf._id}/invite`, { uuids: [user._id]});
+    await user.post(`/groups/${publicGuildUserIsMemberOf._id}/join`);
+
+    await generateGroup(leader, {
+      name: 'public guild - is not member',
+      type: 'guild',
+      privacy: 'public',
+    });
+
+    let privateGuildUserIsMemberOf = await generateGroup(leader, {
+      name: 'private guild - is member',
+      type: 'guild',
+      privacy: 'private',
+    });
+    await leader.post(`/groups/${privateGuildUserIsMemberOf._id}/invite`, { uuids: [user._id]});
+    await user.post(`/groups/${privateGuildUserIsMemberOf._id}/join`);
+
+    await generateGroup(leader, {
+      name: 'private guild - is not member',
+      type: 'guild',
+      privacy: 'private',
+    });
+
+    await generateGroup(leader, {
+      name: 'party - is not member',
+      type: 'party',
+      privacy: 'private',
+    });
+
+    await user.post('/groups', {
+      name: 'party - is member',
+      type: 'party',
+      privacy: 'private',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns error when no query passed in', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups'))
+      .to.eventually.be.rejected.and.eql({
+        code: 400,
+        error: 'BadRequest',
+        message: 'Invalid request parameters.',
+      });
+  });
+
+  it('returns only the tavern when tavern passed in as query', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups?type=tavern'))
+      .to.eventually.have.a.lengthOf(1)
+      .and.to.have.deep.property('[0]')
+      .and.to.have.property('_id', 'habitrpg');
+  });
+
+  it('returns only the user\'s party when party passed in as query', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups?type=party'))
+      .to.eventually.have.a.lengthOf(1)
+      .and.to.have.deep.property('[0]');
+  });
+
+  it('returns all public guilds when publicGuilds passed in as query', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups?type=publicGuilds'))
+      .to.eventually.have.a.lengthOf(NUMBER_OF_PUBLIC_GUILDS);
+  });
+
+  it('returns all private guilds user is a part of when privateGuilds passed in as query', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups?type=privateGuilds'))
+      .to.eventually.have.a.lengthOf(NUMBER_OF_USERS_PRIVATE_GUILDS);
+  });
+
+  it('returns a list of groups user has access to', async () => {
+    await expect(user.get('/groups?type=privateGuilds,publicGuilds,party,tavern'))
+      .to.eventually.have.lengthOf(NUMBER_OF_GROUPS_USER_CAN_VIEW);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/website/src/controllers/api-v3/groups.js b/website/src/controllers/api-v3/groups.js
index 3457a390af..42742c478e 100644
--- a/website/src/controllers/api-v3/groups.js
+++ b/website/src/controllers/api-v3/groups.js
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ api.getGroups = {
 
     // TODO validate types are acceptable? probably not necessary
     let types = req.query.type.split(',');
-    let groupFields = 'name description memberCount balance leader';
+    let groupFields = 'name description memberCount balance';
     let sort = '-memberCount';
     let queries = [];
 
     types.forEach(type => {
       switch (type) {
         case 'party':
-          queries.push(Group.getGroup({user, groupId: 'party', fields: groupFields, populateLeader: true}));
+          queries.push(Group.getGroup({user, groupId: 'party', fields: groupFields}));
           break;
         case 'privateGuilds':
           queries.push(Group.find({
@@ -109,7 +109,9 @@ api.getGroups = {
           }).select(groupFields).sort(sort).exec()); // TODO use lean?
           break;
         case 'tavern':
-          queries.push(Group.getGroup({user, groupId: 'habitrpg', fields: groupFields, populateLeader: true}));
+          if (types.indexOf('publicGuilds') === -1) {
+            queries.push(Group.getGroup({user, groupId: 'habitrpg', fields: groupFields}));
+          }
           break;
       }
     });