diff --git a/src/externalldap.js b/src/externalldap.js
index b17dd88c2..545387f8f 100644
--- a/src/externalldap.js
+++ b/src/externalldap.js
@@ -463,27 +463,27 @@ async function syncGroupMembers(config, progressCallback) {
         return [];
     }
 
-    const allGroups = await groups.list();
+    const allGroups = await groups.listWithMembers();
     const ldapGroups = allGroups.filter(function (g) { return g.source === 'ldap'; });
     debug(`syncGroupMembers: Found ${ldapGroups.length} groups to sync users`);
 
-    for (const group of ldapGroups) {
-        debug(`syncGroupMembers: Sync users for group ${group.name}`);
+    for (const ldapGroup of ldapGroups) {
+        debug(`syncGroupMembers: Sync users for group ${ldapGroup.name}`);
 
         const result = await ldapGroupSearch(config, {});
         if (!result || result.length === 0) {
-            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Unable to find group ${group.name} ignoring for now.`);
+            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Unable to find group ${ldapGroup.name} ignoring for now.`);
             continue;
         }
 
         // since our group names are lowercase we cannot use potentially case matching ldap filters
         const found = result.find(function (r) {
             if (!r[config.groupnameField]) return false;
-            return r[config.groupnameField].toLowerCase() === group.name;
+            return r[config.groupnameField].toLowerCase() === ldapGroup.name;
         });
 
         if (!found) {
-            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Unable to find group ${group.name} ignoring for now.`);
+            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Unable to find group ${ldapGroup.name} ignoring for now.`);
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -492,17 +492,17 @@ async function syncGroupMembers(config, progressCallback) {
         // if only one entry is in the group ldap returns a string, not an array!
         if (typeof ldapGroupMembers === 'string') ldapGroupMembers = [ ldapGroupMembers ];
 
-        debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${group.name} has ${ldapGroupMembers.length} members.`);
+        debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${ldapGroup.name} has ${ldapGroupMembers.length} members.`);
 
         const userIds = [];
         for (const memberDn of ldapGroupMembers) {
             const [ldapError, result] = await safe(ldapGetByDN(config, memberDn));
             if (ldapError) {
-                debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${group.name} failed to get ${memberDn}: %o`, ldapError);
+                debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${ldapGroup.name} failed to get ${memberDn}: %o`, ldapError);
                 continue;
             }
 
-            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${group.name} has member object ${memberDn}`);
+            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${ldapGroup.name} has member object ${memberDn}`);
 
             const username = result[config.usernameField]?.toLowerCase();
             if (!username) continue;
@@ -515,8 +515,14 @@ async function syncGroupMembers(config, progressCallback) {
 
             userIds.push(userObject.id);
         }
-        const [setError] = await safe(groups.setMembers(group, userIds, { skipSourceCheck: true }, AuditSource.EXTERNAL_LDAP));
-        if (setError) debug(`syncGroupMembers: Failed to set members of group ${group.name}. %o`, setError);
+        const membersChanged = ldapGroup.userIds.length === userIds.length && ldapGroup.userIds.every(id => userIds.includes(id));
+        if (membersChanged) {
+            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${ldapGroup.name} changed.`);
+            const [setError] = await safe(groups.setMembers(ldapGroup, userIds, { skipSourceCheck: true }, AuditSource.EXTERNAL_LDAP));
+            if (setError) debug(`syncGroupMembers: Failed to set members of group ${ldapGroup.name}. %o`, setError);
+        } else {
+            debug(`syncGroupMembers: Group ${ldapGroup.name} is unchanged.`);
+        }
     }
 
     debug('syncGroupMembers: done');
diff --git a/src/groups.js b/src/groups.js
index f3bbd918b..f0564fc1d 100644
--- a/src/groups.js
+++ b/src/groups.js
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ async function listWithMembers() {
         ' FROM userGroups LEFT OUTER JOIN groupMembers ON userGroups.id = groupMembers.groupId ' +
         ' GROUP BY userGroups.id ORDER BY name');
 
-    results.forEach(function (result) { result.userIds = result.userIds ? result.userIds.split(',') : [ ]; });
+    results.forEach(function (result) { result.userIds = result.userIds ? result.userIds.split(',') : []; });
 
     for (const r of results) {
         await postProcess(r);