diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index fdaf13445..cb9ebdff1 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -280,12 +280,13 @@ function userRemoved(username) {
     mailUserEventToAdmins({ username: username }, 'was removed');
 }
 
-function adminChanged(user) {
+function adminChanged(user, admin) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof user, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof admin, 'boolean');
 
     debug('Sending mail for adminChanged');
 
-    mailUserEventToAdmins(user, user.admin ? 'is now an admin' : 'is no more an admin');
+    mailUserEventToAdmins(user, admin ? 'is now an admin' : 'is no more an admin');
 }
 
 function passwordReset(user) {
@@ -411,6 +412,8 @@ function _getMailQueue() {
     return gMailQueue;
 }
 
-function _clearMailQueue() {
+function _clearMailQueue(callback) {
     gMailQueue = [];
+
+    if (callback) callback();
 }
diff --git a/src/test/user-test.js b/src/test/user-test.js
index 6aceb5ae7..ede542d83 100644
--- a/src/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/test/user-test.js
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-var database = require('../database.js'),
+var async = require('async'),
+    database = require('../database.js'),
     expect = require('expect.js'),
+    groupdb = require('../groupdb.js'),
+    groups = require('../groups.js'),
     mailer = require('../mailer.js'),
     user = require('../user.js'),
     userdb = require('../userdb.js'),
@@ -19,26 +22,28 @@ var EMAIL = 'nobody@no.body';
 var EMAIL_NEW = 'nobodynew@no.body';
 var PASSWORD = 'sTrOnG#$34134';
 var NEW_PASSWORD = 'oTHER@#$235';
-var IS_ADMIN = true;
 var DISPLAY_NAME = 'Nobody cares';
 var DISPLAY_NAME_NEW = 'Somone cares';
 var userObject = null;
 
 function cleanupUsers(done) {
-    userdb._clear(function () {
-        mailer._clearMailQueue();
-        done();
-    });
+    async.series([
+        groupdb._clear,
+        userdb._clear,
+        mailer._clearMailQueue
+    ], done);
 }
 
 function createOwner(done) {
-    user.createOwner(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
-        expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
-        expect(result).to.be.ok();
+    groups.create('admin', function () { // ignore error since it might already exist
+        user.createOwner(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
+            expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
+            expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
-        userObject = result;
+            userObject = result;
 
-        done();
+            done();
+        });
     });
 }
 
@@ -77,7 +82,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to short password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'Fo$%23', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'Fo$%23', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -87,7 +92,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing upper case password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'thisiseightch%$234arslong', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'thisiseightch%$234arslong', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -97,7 +102,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing numerics in password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF%', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF%', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -107,7 +112,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing special chars in password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF23423', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF23423', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('succeeds and attempts to send invite', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null /* invitor */, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, true, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result.username).to.equal(USERNAME);
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails because user exists', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.ALREADY_EXISTS);
@@ -162,7 +167,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails because password is empty', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, '', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, '', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -392,7 +397,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
                 email: 'some@thi.ng'
             };
 
-            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, false, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
@@ -434,7 +439,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
                 email: 'some@thi.ng'
             };
 
-            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, false, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.eql(null);
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index c24fad775..5ac23c021 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -283,14 +283,14 @@ function changeAdmin(username, admin, callback) {
             // protect from a system where there is no admin left
             if (result.length <= 1 && !admin) return callback(new UserError(UserError.NOT_ALLOWED, 'Only admin'));
 
-            user.admin = admin;
+            var func = admin ? groups.addMember : groups.removeMember;
 
-            userdb.update(username, user, function (error) {
+            func(groups.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, user.id, function (error) {
                 if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
                 callback(null);
 
-                mailer.adminChanged(user);
+                mailer.adminChanged(user, admin);
             });
         });
     });
@@ -393,13 +393,13 @@ function createOwner(username, password, email, displayName, callback) {
         if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
         if (count !== 0) return callback(new UserError(UserError.ALREADY_EXISTS));
 
-        createUser(username, password, email, displayName, null /* invitor */, false /* sendInvite */, function (error) {
+        createUser(username, password, email, displayName, null /* invitor */, false /* sendInvite */, function (error, user) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
-            groups.addMember(groups.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, username, function (error) {
+            groups.addMember(groups.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, user.id, function (error) {
                 if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-                callback();
+                callback(null, user);
             });
         });
     });