diff --git a/src/groupdb.js b/src/groupdb.js
index 22fecffa5..80eb517cc 100644
--- a/src/groupdb.js
+++ b/src/groupdb.js
@@ -84,10 +84,14 @@ function del(id, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof id, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    database.query('DELETE FROM groups WHERE id = ?', [ id ], function (error, result) {
-        if (error && error.code === 'ER_ROW_IS_REFERENCED_2') return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.IN_USE));
+    // also cleanup the groupMembers table
+    var queries = [];
+    queries.push({ query: 'DELETE FROM groupMembers WHERE groupId = ?', args: [ id ] });
+    queries.push({ query: 'DELETE FROM groups WHERE id = ?', args: [ id ] });
+
+    database.transaction(queries, function (error, result) {
         if (error) return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
-        if (result.affectedRows !== 1) return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND));
+        if (result[1].affectedRows !== 1) return callback(new DatabaseError(DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND));
 
         callback(error);
     });
diff --git a/src/test/groups-test.js b/src/test/groups-test.js
index e67e4b03d..d1ee438d7 100644
--- a/src/test/groups-test.js
+++ b/src/test/groups-test.js
@@ -199,13 +199,6 @@ describe('Group membership', function () {
         });
     });
 
-    it('cannot remove group with member', function (done) {
-        groups.remove(GROUP0_ID, function (error) {
-            expect(error.reason).to.be(GroupError.NOT_EMPTY);
-            done();
-        });
-    });
-
     it('can remove member', function (done) {
         groups.removeMember(GROUP0_ID, USER_0.id, function (error) {
             expect(error).to.be(null);
@@ -227,6 +220,21 @@ describe('Group membership', function () {
             done();
         });
     });
+
+    it('can remove group with member', function (done) {
+        groups.create(GROUP0_NAME, function (error) {
+            expect(error).to.eql(null);
+
+            groups.addMember(GROUP0_ID, USER_0.id, function (error) {
+                expect(error).to.be(null);
+
+                groups.remove(GROUP0_ID, function (error) {
+                    expect(error).to.eql(null);
+                    done();
+                });
+            });
+        });
+    });
 });
 
 describe('Set user groups', function () {