diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index be9efac8b..61798f792 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ function hasAccessTo(app, user, callback) {
     if (app.accessRestriction.users.some(function (e) { return e === user.id; })) return callback(null, true);
 
     // check group access
-    groups.getGroups(user.id, function (error, groupIds) {
+    groups.getMembership(user.id, function (error, groupIds) {
         if (error) return callback(null, false);
 
         const isAdmin = groupIds.indexOf(constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID) !== -1;
diff --git a/src/groupdb.js b/src/groupdb.js
index d4f2d4a3c..787d8b33e 100644
--- a/src/groupdb.js
+++ b/src/groupdb.js
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     setMembers: setMembers,
     isMember: isMember,
 
-    getGroups: getGroups,
-    setGroups: setGroups,
+    getMembership: getMembership,
+    setMembership: setMembership,
 
     getRoles: getRoles,
 
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ function setMembers(groupId, userIds, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function getGroups(userId, callback) {
+function getMembership(userId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ function getGroups(userId, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function setGroups(userId, groupIds, callback) {
+function setMembership(userId, groupIds, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert(Array.isArray(groupIds));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
diff --git a/src/groups.js b/src/groups.js
index d84b53126..6a8adcf2c 100644
--- a/src/groups.js
+++ b/src/groups.js
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     getRoles: getRoles,
 
-    getGroups: getGroups,
-    setGroups: setGroups
+    setMembership: setMembership,
+    getMembership: getMembership
 };
 
 var accesscontrol = require('./accesscontrol.js'),
@@ -170,11 +170,11 @@ function getMembers(groupId, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function getGroups(userId, callback) {
+function getMembership(userId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    groupdb.getGroups(userId, function (error, result) {
+    groupdb.getMembership(userId, function (error, result) {
         if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new GroupsError(GroupsError.NOT_FOUND));
         if (error) return callback(new GroupsError(GroupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ function getGroups(userId, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function setGroups(userId, groupIds, callback) {
+function setMembership(userId, groupIds, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert(Array.isArray(groupIds));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    groupdb.setGroups(userId, groupIds, function (error) {
+    groupdb.setMembership(userId, groupIds, function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new GroupsError(GroupsError.NOT_FOUND));
         if (error) return callback(new GroupsError(GroupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
diff --git a/src/routes/users.js b/src/routes/users.js
index 3ab3302ff..3effc7d27 100644
--- a/src/routes/users.js
+++ b/src/routes/users.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function setGroups(req, res, next) {
     // this route is only allowed for admins, so req.user has to be an admin
     if (req.user.id === req.params.userId && req.body.groupIds.indexOf(constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID) === -1) return next(new HttpError(409, 'Admin removing itself from admins is not allowed'));
 
-    users.setGroups(req.params.userId, req.body.groupIds, function (error) {
+    users.setMembership(req.params.userId, req.body.groupIds, function (error) {
         if (error && error.reason === UsersError.NOT_FOUND) return next(new HttpError(404, 'One or more groups not found'));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
diff --git a/src/test/database-test.js b/src/test/database-test.js
index 92fde4b1d..67144e107 100644
--- a/src/test/database-test.js
+++ b/src/test/database-test.js
@@ -1553,14 +1553,14 @@ describe('database', function () {
         });
 
         it('can set groups', function (done) {
-            groupdb.setGroups(USER_0.id, [ 'admin', GROUP_ID_1 ], function (error) {
+            groupdb.setMembership(USER_0.id, [ 'admin', GROUP_ID_1 ], function (error) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 done();
             });
         });
 
         it('can get groups', function (done) {
-            groupdb.getGroups(USER_0.id, function (error, result) {
+            groupdb.getMembership(USER_0.id, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 expect(result).to.eql([ 'admin', GROUP_ID_1 ]);
                 done();
diff --git a/src/test/groups-test.js b/src/test/groups-test.js
index f5d1f1a2b..bebc6078e 100644
--- a/src/test/groups-test.js
+++ b/src/test/groups-test.js
@@ -337,10 +337,10 @@ describe('Set user groups', function () {
     after(cleanup);
 
     it('can set user to single group', function (done) {
-        groups.setGroups(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id ], function (error) {
+        groups.setMembership(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id ], function (error) {
             expect(error).to.be(null);
 
-            groups.getGroups(USER_0.id, function (error, groupIds) {
+            groups.getMembership(USER_0.id, function (error, groupIds) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 expect(groupIds.length).to.be(1);
                 expect(groupIds[0]).to.be(group0Object.id);
@@ -350,10 +350,10 @@ describe('Set user groups', function () {
     });
 
     it('can set user to multiple groups', function (done) {
-        groups.setGroups(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id, group1Object.id ], function (error) {
+        groups.setMembership(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id, group1Object.id ], function (error) {
             expect(error).to.be(null);
 
-            groups.getGroups(USER_0.id, function (error, groupIds) {
+            groups.getMembership(USER_0.id, function (error, groupIds) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 expect(groupIds.length).to.be(2);
                 expect(groupIds.sort()).to.eql([ group0Object.id, group1Object.id ].sort());
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ describe('Roles', function () {
                     if (error) return next(error);
                     group0Object = result;
 
-                    groups.setGroups(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id ], next);
+                    groups.setMembership(USER_0.id, [ group0Object.id ], next);
                 });
             },
         ], done);
diff --git a/src/test/users-test.js b/src/test/users-test.js
index c19391289..ee551db4b 100644
--- a/src/test/users-test.js
+++ b/src/test/users-test.js
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
 
                 user1.id = result.id;
 
-                users.setGroups(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID ], function (error) {
+                users.setMembership(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID ], function (error) {
                     expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
 
                     // one mail for user creation, one mail for admin change
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('add user to non admin group does not trigger admin mail', function (done) {
-            users.setGroups(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, groupObject.id ], function (error) {
+            users.setMembership(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, groupObject.id ], function (error) {
                 expect(error).to.equal(null);
 
                 checkMails(0, done);
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('succeeds to remove admin flag', function (done) {
-            users.setGroups(user1.id, [ groupObject.id ], function (error) {
+            users.setMembership(user1.id, [ groupObject.id ], function (error) {
                 expect(error).to.eql(null);
 
                 checkMails(1, done);
@@ -726,7 +726,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
 
                 user1.id = result.id;
 
-                groups.setGroups(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID ], function (error) {
+                groups.setMembership(user1.id, [ constants.ADMIN_GROUP_ID ], function (error) {
                     expect(error).to.eql(null);
 
                     users.getAllAdmins(function (error, admins) {
diff --git a/src/users.js b/src/users.js
index 4cc34d3d1..0a21d7a40 100644
--- a/src/users.js
+++ b/src/users.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     createOwner: createOwner,
     getOwner: getOwner,
     sendInvite: sendInvite,
-    setGroups: setGroups,
+    setMembership: setMembership,
     setTwoFactorAuthenticationSecret: setTwoFactorAuthenticationSecret,
     enableTwoFactorAuthentication: enableTwoFactorAuthentication,
     disableTwoFactorAuthentication: disableTwoFactorAuthentication
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ function get(userId, callback) {
         if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.NOT_FOUND));
         if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        groups.getGroups(userId, function (error, groupIds) {
+        groups.getMembership(userId, function (error, groupIds) {
             if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
             result.groupIds = groupIds;
@@ -398,17 +398,17 @@ function updateUser(userId, data, auditSource, callback) {
     });
 }
 
-function setGroups(userId, groupIds, callback) {
+function setMembership(userId, groupIds, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert(Array.isArray(groupIds));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    groups.getGroups(userId, function (error, oldGroupIds) {
+    groups.getMembership(userId, function (error, oldGroupIds) {
         if (error && error.reason !== GroupsError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
         oldGroupIds = oldGroupIds || [];
 
-        groups.setGroups(userId, groupIds, function (error) {
+        groups.setMembership(userId, groupIds, function (error) {
             if (error && error.reason === GroupsError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.NOT_FOUND, 'One or more groups not found'));
             if (error) return callback(new UsersError(UsersError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));