diff --git a/management/server/migration/migration.go b/management/server/migration/migration.go
index ecfacb5a0..c9ed82d92 100644
--- a/management/server/migration/migration.go
+++ b/management/server/migration/migration.go
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ func MigrateFieldFromGobToJSON[T any, S any](ctx context.Context, db *gorm.DB, f
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if !db.Migrator().HasColumn(&model, fieldName) {
+		log.WithContext(ctx).Debugf("Table for %T does not have column %s, no migration needed", model, fieldName)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	stmt := &gorm.Statement{DB: db}
 	err := stmt.Parse(model)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/management/server/store/sql_store.go b/management/server/store/sql_store.go
index 2b1073c33..fd168ef9b 100644
--- a/management/server/store/sql_store.go
+++ b/management/server/store/sql_store.go
@@ -1810,17 +1810,12 @@ func (s *SqlStore) SaveGroup(ctx context.Context, lockStrength LockingStrength,
 
 	group.StoreGroupPeers()
 
-	tx := s.db
-	if lockStrength != LockingStrengthNone {
-		tx = tx.Clauses(clause.Locking{Strength: string(lockStrength)})
-	}
-
-	if err := tx.Model(group).Association("Peers").Replace(group.Peers); err != nil {
+	if err := s.db.Model(group).Association("GroupPeers").Replace(group.GroupPeers); err != nil {
 		log.WithContext(ctx).Errorf("failed to replace peers for group %s: %v", group.ID, err)
 		return status.Errorf(status.Internal, "failed to sync group peers")
 	}
 
-	if err := tx.Save(group).Error; err != nil {
+	if err := s.db.Save(group).Error; err != nil {
 		log.WithContext(ctx).Errorf("failed to save group to store: %v", err)
 		return status.Errorf(status.Internal, "failed to save group to store")
 	}
diff --git a/management/server/types/group.go b/management/server/types/group.go
index b8284efbb..81fc4b6c8 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 = nil
 }
 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 = nil
 }
 
 // EventMeta returns activity event meta related to the group