diff --git a/files/classes/group.py b/files/classes/group.py
index d2d2fb6e5..a02a7eef9 100644
--- a/files/classes/group.py
+++ b/files/classes/group.py
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ class Group(Base):
 	__tablename__ = "groups"
 	name = Column(String, primary_key=True)
 	created_utc = Column(Integer)
+	owner_id = Column(Integer, ForeignKey("users.id"))
 
 	memberships = relationship("GroupMembership", primaryjoin="GroupMembership.group_name==Group.name", order_by="GroupMembership.approved_utc")
+	owner = relationship("User", primaryjoin="Group.owner_id==User.id")
 
 	def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
 		if "created_utc" not in kwargs: kwargs["created_utc"] = int(time.time())
@@ -24,11 +26,6 @@ class Group(Base):
 	def __repr__(self):
 		return self.name
 
-	@property
-	@lazy
-	def owner(self):
-		return self.memberships[0].user
-
 	@property
 	@lazy
 	def membership_user_ids(self):
diff --git a/files/classes/user.py b/files/classes/user.py
index f043a1336..b6d8ea240 100644
--- a/files/classes/user.py
+++ b/files/classes/user.py
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ class User(Base):
 	@lazy
 	def mods_group(self, group):
 		if self.is_permabanned or self.shadowbanned: return False
-		if self.id == group.owner.id: return True
+		if self.id == group.owner_id: return True
 		if self.admin_level >= PERMS['MODS_EVERY_GROUP']: return True
 		return bool(g.db.query(GroupMembership.user_id).filter_by(user_id=self.id, group_name=group.name, is_mod=True).one_or_none())
 
diff --git a/files/routes/groups.py b/files/routes/groups.py
index 9419dfffc..0b39764c9 100644
--- a/files/routes/groups.py
+++ b/files/routes/groups.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def join_group(v, group_name):
 	if not existing:
 		join = GroupMembership(user_id=v.id, group_name=group_name)
 		g.db.add(join)
-		send_notification(group.owner.id, f"@{v.username} has applied to join !{group}. You can approve or reject the application [here](/!{group}).")
+		send_notification(group.owner_id, f"@{v.username} has applied to join !{group}. You can approve or reject the application [here](/!{group}).")
 
 	return {"message": f"Application submitted to !{group}'s owner (@{group.owner.username}) successfully!"}
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def leave_group(v, group_name):
 			text = f"@{v.username} has cancelled their application to !{group}"
 			msg = f"You have cancelled your application to !{group} successfully!"
 
-		send_notification(group.owner.id, text)
+		send_notification(group.owner_id, text)
 		g.db.delete(existing)
 
 		return {"message": msg}
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ def group_reject(v, group_name, user_id):
 		abort(404, "There is no membership to reject!")
 
 	if v.id != membership.user_id: #implies kicking and not leaving
-		if membership.user_id == group.owner.id:
+		if membership.user_id == group.owner_id:
 			abort(403, "You can't kick the group owner!")
 
-		if v.id != group.owner.id and membership.is_mod:
+		if v.id != group.owner_id and membership.is_mod:
 			abort(403, "Only the group owner can kick mods!")
 
 	if v.id == membership.user_id:
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def group_add_mod(v, group_name, user_id):
 	group = g.db.get(Group, group_name)
 	if not group: abort(404)
 
-	if v.id != group.owner.id:
+	if v.id != group.owner_id:
 		abort(403, f"Only the group owner (@{group.owner.username}) can add mods!")
 
 	membership = g.db.query(GroupMembership).filter_by(user_id=user_id, group_name=group.name).one_or_none()
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ def group_remove_mod(v, group_name, user_id):
 	group = g.db.get(Group, group_name)
 	if not group: abort(404)
 
-	if v.id != group.owner.id:
+	if v.id != group.owner_id:
 		abort(403, f"Only the group owner (@{group.owner.username}) can remove mods!")
 
 	membership = g.db.query(GroupMembership).filter_by(user_id=user_id, group_name=group.name).one_or_none()
diff --git a/files/templates/group_memberships.html b/files/templates/group_memberships.html
index 716978430..f299e95b9 100644
--- a/files/templates/group_memberships.html
+++ b/files/templates/group_memberships.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {% extends "default.html" %}
 {% block pagetitle %}!{{group}}{% endblock %}
 {% block content %}
-	{% if v.id != group.owner.id %}
+	{% if v.id != group.owner_id %}
 		<button id="leave-{{group}}" type="button" class="mt-4 btn btn-danger btn-block {% if v.id not in group.membership_user_ids %}d-none{% endif %}" data-nonce="{{g.nonce}}" data-onclick="postToastSwitch(this,'/!{{group}}/leave','leave-{{group}}','apply-{{group}}','d-none')">
 			{%- if v.id in group.member_ids or group.name == 'verifiedrich' -%}
 				Leave
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 					{% for membership in memberships %}
 						<tr id="{{membership.user_id}}">
 							<td id="counter-{{membership.user_id}}">{{loop.index}}</td>
-							{% set owner = name == 'members' and loop.index == 1 %}
+							{% set owner = membership.user_id == group.owner_id %}
 							<td {% if owner %}class="unbreakable"{% endif %}>
 								{% with user=membership.user %}
 									{% include "user_in_table.html" %}
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@
 
 							{% if v.mods_group(group) %}
 								<td>
-									{% if v.id == group.owner.id and v.id != membership.user_id %}
+									{% if v.id == group.owner_id and v.id != membership.user_id %}
 										<div id="mod-{{membership.user_id}}" class="mb-2 {% if name == 'applications' %}d-none{% endif %}">
 											<button id="add-mod-{{membership.user_id}}" type="button" class="btn btn-success btn-block {% if membership.is_mod %}d-none{% endif %}" data-nonce="{{g.nonce}}" data-onclick="postToastSwitch(this,'/!{{group.name}}/{{membership.user_id}}/add_mod','add-mod-{{membership.user_id}}','remove-mod-{{membership.user_id}}','d-none')">Add as Mod</button>
 											<button id="remove-mod-{{membership.user_id}}" type="button" class="btn btn-danger btn-block {% if not membership.is_mod %}d-none{% endif %}" data-nonce="{{g.nonce}}" data-onclick="postToastSwitch(this,'/!{{group.name}}/{{membership.user_id}}/remove_mod','add-mod-{{membership.user_id}}','remove-mod-{{membership.user_id}}','d-none')">Remove as Mod</button>
 										</div>
 									{% endif %}
 
-									{% if v.id == membership.user_id or v.id == group.owner.id or not membership.user.mods_group(group) %}
+									{% if v.id == membership.user_id or v.id == group.owner_id or not membership.user.mods_group(group) %}
 										<div id="kick-{{membership.user_id}}" {% if name == 'applications' %}class="d-none"{% endif %}>
 											<button type="button" class="btn btn-danger btn-block" data-nonce="{{g.nonce}}" data-onclick="reject_membership(this,'{{group}}','{{membership.user_id}}')">{% if v.id == membership.user_id %}Leave{% else %}Kick{% endif %}</button>
 										</div>
diff --git a/files/templates/groups.html b/files/templates/groups.html
index 5dccfb6c8..c3207b277 100644
--- a/files/templates/groups.html
+++ b/files/templates/groups.html
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 						<td>{{group.name}}</td>
 						<td class="unbreakable">
 							<a href="/!{{group}}">{{group.member_ids | length}}</a>
-							{% if v.id != group.owner.id %}
+							{% if v.id != group.owner_id %}
 								<button id="leave-{{group}}" type="button" class="ml-3 ml-md-5 btn btn-primary {% if v.id not in group.membership_user_ids %}d-none{% endif %}" data-nonce="{{g.nonce}}" data-onclick="postToastSwitch(this,'/!{{group}}/leave','leave-{{group}}','apply-{{group}}','d-none')">
 									{%- if v.id in group.member_ids or group.name == 'verifiedrich' -%}
 										Leave
diff --git a/files/templates/userpage/banner.html b/files/templates/userpage/banner.html
index e0df9ab00..4a157a5ad 100644
--- a/files/templates/userpage/banner.html
+++ b/files/templates/userpage/banner.html
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@
 						<div class="text-white rounded p-2 mb-3" id="profile--groups" style="background-color: rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.6); width: 30%">
 							<p class="text-uppercase my-0 pb-1" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px">Member of</p>
 							{% for i in u.group_memberships %}
-								{% set is_owner = (u.id == i[1].owner.id) %}
-								<span class="d-inline-block mx-1 {% if u.id == i[1].owner.id %}font-weight-bolder{% endif %}" {% if is_owner %}data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="bottom" title="Owner"{% endif %}>
+								{% set is_owner = (u.id == i[1].owner_id) %}
+								<span class="d-inline-block mx-1 {% if u.id == i[1].owner_id %}font-weight-bolder{% endif %}" {% if is_owner %}data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="bottom" title="Owner"{% endif %}>
 									<a href="/!{{i[0]}}" {% if is_owner %}style="color: #bbb !important"{% endif %}>!{{i[0]}}</a>
 								</span>
 							{% endfor %}
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@
 						<div class="text-white rounded p-2 mt-3 mb-3" id="profile-mobile--groups" style="background-color: rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.6)">
 							<p class="text-uppercase my-0 pb-1" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px">Member of</p>
 							{% for i in u.group_memberships %}
-								{% set is_owner = (u.id == i[1].owner.id) %}
+								{% set is_owner = (u.id == i[1].owner_id) %}
 								<span class="d-inline-block mx-1 {% if is_owner %}font-weight-bolder{% endif %}" {% if is_owner %}data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="bottom" title="Owner"{% endif %}>
 									<a href="/!{{i[0]}}" {% if is_owner %}style="color: #bbb !important"{% endif %}>!{{i[0]}}</a>
 								</span>
diff --git a/migrations/20240211-add-owner-id-for-next-commit.sql b/migrations/20240211-add-owner-id-for-next-commit.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8540977b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20240211-add-owner-id-for-next-commit.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+alter table groups add column owner_id int;
+
+alter table only groups
+    add constraint groups_user_fkey foreign key (owner_id) references public.users(id);