diff --git a/management/server/account.go b/management/server/account.go
index 1b04ba50a..8a80aefb6 100644
--- a/management/server/account.go
+++ b/management/server/account.go
@@ -1279,7 +1279,7 @@ func (am *DefaultAccountManager) SyncUserJWTGroups(ctx context.Context, userAuth
 	var hasChanges bool
 	var user *types.User
 	err = am.Store.ExecuteInTransaction(ctx, func(transaction store.Store) error {
-		user, err = transaction.GetUserByUserID(ctx, store.LockingStrengthUpdate, userAuth.UserId)
+		user, err = transaction.GetUserByUserID(ctx, store.LockingStrengthShare, userAuth.UserId)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error getting user: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ func (am *DefaultAccountManager) SyncUserJWTGroups(ctx context.Context, userAuth
 
 		// Propagate changes to peers if group propagation is enabled
 		if settings.GroupsPropagationEnabled {
-			groups, err = transaction.GetAccountGroups(ctx, store.LockingStrengthUpdate, userAuth.AccountId)
+			groups, err = transaction.GetAccountGroups(ctx, store.LockingStrengthShare, userAuth.AccountId)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("error getting account groups: %w", err)
 			}
@@ -1899,7 +1899,7 @@ func (am *DefaultAccountManager) UpdateToPrimaryAccount(ctx context.Context, acc
 // propagateUserGroupMemberships propagates all account users' group memberships to their peers.
 // Returns true if any groups were modified, true if those updates affect peers and an error.
 func propagateUserGroupMemberships(ctx context.Context, transaction store.Store, accountID string) (groupsUpdated bool, peersAffected bool, err error) {
-	groups, err := transaction.GetAccountGroups(ctx, store.LockingStrengthUpdate, accountID)
+	groups, err := transaction.GetAccountGroups(ctx, store.LockingStrengthShare, accountID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, false, err
 	}
diff --git a/management/server/account_test.go b/management/server/account_test.go
index 3191a15f8..3f2bf0f91 100644
--- a/management/server/account_test.go
+++ b/management/server/account_test.go
@@ -2617,6 +2617,7 @@ func TestAccount_GetNextInactivePeerExpiration(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestAccount_SetJWTGroups(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("NETBIRD_STORE_ENGINE", "postgres")
 	manager, err := createManager(t)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to create account manager")
 
diff --git a/management/server/store/sql_store.go b/management/server/store/sql_store.go
index 1b6c1497f..390a6c220 100644
--- a/management/server/store/sql_store.go
+++ b/management/server/store/sql_store.go
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ func (s *SqlStore) SaveGroups(ctx context.Context, lockStrength LockingStrength,
 	}
 
 	return s.db.Transaction(func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
-		result := tx.Session(&gorm.Session{FullSaveAssociations: true}).
+		result := tx.
 			Clauses(
 				clause.Locking{Strength: string(lockStrength)},
 				clause.OnConflict{
@@ -475,8 +475,6 @@ func (s *SqlStore) SaveGroups(ctx context.Context, lockStrength LockingStrength,
 		}
 
 		for _, g := range groups {
-			g.StoreGroupPeers()
-
 			if err := tx.Model(&g).
 				Association("GroupPeers").
 				Replace(g.GroupPeers); err != nil {
diff --git a/management/server/store/sql_store_test.go b/management/server/store/sql_store_test.go
index 8ff8c35f8..887f23ba3 100644
--- a/management/server/store/sql_store_test.go
+++ b/management/server/store/sql_store_test.go
@@ -1371,12 +1371,11 @@ func TestSqlStore_SaveGroups(t *testing.T) {
 			GroupPeers: []types.GroupPeer{},
 		},
 		{
-			ID:         "group-2",
-			AccountID:  accountID,
-			Issued:     "integration",
-			Peers:      []string{"peer3", "peer4"},
-			Resources:  []types.Resource{},
-			GroupPeers: []types.GroupPeer{},
+			ID:        "group-2",
+			AccountID: accountID,
+			Issued:    "integration",
+			Peers:     []string{"peer3", "peer4"},
+			Resources: []types.Resource{},
 		},
 	}
 	err = store.SaveGroups(context.Background(), LockingStrengthUpdate, accountID, groups)
diff --git a/management/server/types/group.go b/management/server/types/group.go
index 5f4d1d2bb..f0ab6ddb6 100644
--- a/management/server/types/group.go
+++ b/management/server/types/group.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (g *Group) LoadGroupPeers() {
 	for i, peer := range g.GroupPeers {
 		g.Peers[i] = peer.PeerID
 	}
-	g.GroupPeers = nil
+	g.GroupPeers = []GroupPeer{}
 }
 func (g *Group) StoreGroupPeers() {
 	g.GroupPeers = make([]GroupPeer, len(g.Peers))
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func (g *Group) StoreGroupPeers() {
 			PeerID:  peer,
 		}
 	}
-	g.Peers = nil
+	g.Peers = []string{}
 }
 
 // EventMeta returns activity event meta related to the group