diff --git a/app/controllers/groups_controller.rb b/app/controllers/groups_controller.rb
index 311a11b2f91..b4024a280ad 100644
--- a/app/controllers/groups_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/groups_controller.rb
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ class GroupsController < ApplicationController
       user = User.find(params[:user_id])
     elsif params[:username].present?
       user = User.find_by_username(params[:username])
+    elsif params[:user_email].present?
+      user = User.find_by_email(params[:user_email])
     else
       raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new('user_id or username must be present')
     end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/groups_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/groups_controller_spec.rb
index fded427a080..b926e4d6c62 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/groups_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/groups_controller_spec.rb
@@ -200,19 +200,22 @@ describe GroupsController do
       end
 
       it "removes by id" do
-        xhr :delete, :remove_member, id: group.id, user_id: user.id
+        expect do
+          xhr :delete, :remove_member, id: group.id, user_id: user.id
 
-        expect(response).to be_success
-        group.reload
-        expect(group.users.count).to eq(0)
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          group.reload
+        end.to change{group.users.count}.from(1).to(0)
       end
 
       it "removes by username" do
-        xhr :delete, :remove_member, id: group.id, username: user.username
+        expect do
+          xhr :delete, :remove_member, id: group.id, username: user.username
 
-        expect(response).to be_success
-        group.reload
-        expect(group.users.count).to eq(0)
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          group.reload
+
+        end.to change{group.users.count}.from(1).to(0)
       end
 
       it "removes user.primary_group_id when user is removed from group" do
@@ -224,6 +227,14 @@ describe GroupsController do
         user.reload
         expect(user.primary_group_id).to eq(nil)
       end
+
+      it "removes by user_email" do
+        expect do
+          xhr :delete, :remove_member, id: group.id, user_email: user.email
+          expect(response).to be_success
+          group.reload
+        end.to change{group.users.count}.from(1).to(0)
+      end
     end
 
   end