diff --git a/src/groupdb.js b/src/groupdb.js
index 82690a220..ed802f11f 100644
--- a/src/groupdb.js
+++ b/src/groupdb.js
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     removeMember: removeMember,
     isMember: isMember,
 
+    getGroups: getGroups,
+
     _clear: clear
 };
 
@@ -91,6 +93,15 @@ function getMembers(groupId, callback) {
     });
 }
 
+function getGroups(userId, callback) {
+    database.query('SELECT userId FROM groupMembers WHERE userId=?', [ userId ], function (error, result) {
+        if (error) return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+        // if (result.length === 0) return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND)); // need to differentiate group with no members and invalid groupId
+
+        callback(error, result.map(function (r) { return r.groupId; }));
+    });
+}
+
 function addMember(groupId, userId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof groupId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
diff --git a/src/groups.js b/src/groups.js
index 28fdfb5cb..e8e708594 100644
--- a/src/groups.js
+++ b/src/groups.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     removeMember: removeMember,
     isMember: isMember,
 
+    getGroups: getGroups,
+
     ADMIN_GROUP_ID: 'gid:admin' // see db migration code
 };
 
@@ -112,6 +114,18 @@ function getMembers(groupId, callback) {
     });
 }
 
+function getGroups(userId, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    groupdb.getGroups(userId, function (error, result) {
+        if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new GroupError(GroupError.NOT_FOUND));
+        if (error) return callback(new GroupError(GroupError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+
+        return callback(null, result);
+    });
+}
+
 function addMember(groupId, userId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof groupId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 5ac23c021..5139074eb 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -230,7 +230,13 @@ function getUser(userId, callback) {
         if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UserError(UserError.NOT_FOUND));
         if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        return callback(null, result);
+        groups.getGroups(userId, function (error, groupIds) {
+            if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+
+            result.groupIds = groupIds;
+
+            return callback(null, result);
+        });
     });
 }