diff --git a/src/routes/user.js b/src/routes/user.js
index 1fab2d292..d2a69590e 100644
--- a/src/routes/user.js
+++ b/src/routes/user.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function createUser(req, res, next) {
     var sendInvite = req.body.invite;
     var displayName = req.body.displayName || '';
 
-    user.create(username, password, email, displayName, false /* admin */, req.user /* creator */, sendInvite, function (error, user) {
+    user.create(username, password, email, displayName, req.user /* creator */, sendInvite, function (error, user) {
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_USERNAME) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid username'));
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_EMAIL) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid email'));
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_PASSWORD) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid password'));
diff --git a/src/test/user-test.js b/src/test/user-test.js
index 9bf85bd9c..6aceb5ae7 100644
--- a/src/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/test/user-test.js
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ function cleanupUsers(done) {
     });
 }
 
-function createUser(done) {
-    user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, IS_ADMIN, null /* invitor  */, false, function (error, result) {
+function createOwner(done) {
+    user.createOwner(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
         expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
         expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('succeeds', function (done) {
-            createUser(function (error) {
+            createOwner(function (error) {
                 if (error) return done(error);
 
                 user.getOwner(function (error, owner) {
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('verify', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to non existing username', function (done) {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('verifyWithEmail', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to non existing user', function (done) {
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('retrieving', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to non existing user', function (done) {
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('update', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to unknown userid', function (done) {
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('admin change', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails to remove admin flag of only admin', function (done) {
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('get admins', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('succeeds for one admins', function (done) {
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('password change', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to wrong arumgent count', function () {
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('resetPasswordByIdentifier', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to unkown email', function (done) {
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
     });
 
     describe('send invite', function () {
-        before(createUser);
+        before(createOwner);
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails for unknown user', function (done) {
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 4dc4c43c4..add6b2962 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     clientdb = require('./clientdb.js'),
     crypto = require('crypto'),
     DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror.js'),
+    groups = require('./groups.js'),
     hat = require('hat'),
     mailer = require('./mailer.js'),
     tokendb = require('./tokendb.js'),
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ function listUsers(callback) {
     userdb.getAll(function (error, result) {
         if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        return callback(null, result.map(function (obj) { return _.pick(obj, 'id', 'username', 'email', 'admin', 'displayName'); }));
+        return callback(null, result.map(function (obj) { return _.pick(obj, 'id', 'username', 'email', 'displayName'); }));
     });
 }
 
@@ -113,13 +114,12 @@ function validateDisplayName(name) {
     return null;
 }
 
-function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, admin, invitor, sendInvite, callback) {
+function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, invitor, sendInvite, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof username, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof password, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof email, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof displayName, 'string');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof admin, 'boolean');
-    assert(invitor || admin);
+    assert(invitor);
     assert.strictEqual(typeof sendInvite, 'boolean');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, admin, invitor, send
                 username: username,
                 email: email,
                 password: new Buffer(derivedKey, 'binary').toString('hex'),
-                admin: admin,
                 salt: salt.toString('hex'),
                 createdAt: now,
                 modifiedAt: now,
@@ -161,8 +160,6 @@ function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, admin, invitor, send
 
                 callback(null, user);
 
-                // WARNING do not send email for admins (this can only be the case for the owner, the first user creation during activation)
-                if (!admin) mailer.userAdded(user, sendInvite);
                 if (sendInvite) mailer.sendInvite(user, invitor);
             });
         });
@@ -396,7 +393,15 @@ 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, true /* admin */, null /* invitor */, false /* sendInvite */, callback);
+        createUser(username, password, email, displayName, null /* invitor */, false /* sendInvite */, function (error) {
+            if (error) return callback(error);
+
+            groups.addMember(groups.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, username, function (error) {
+                if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+
+                callback();
+            });
+        });
     });
 }