diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/models/group.js b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/models/group.js
index d1444afac91..c4e3df70764 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/models/group.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/models/group.js
@@ -60,13 +60,20 @@ Discourse.Group = Discourse.Model.extend({
         name: this.get('name'),
         usernames: this.get('usernames')
       }
-    }}).then(function(r){
+    }}).then(function(resp) {
       group.set('disableSave', false);
-      group.set('id', r.id);
+      group.set('id', resp.id);
+    }, function (error) {
+      group.set('disableSave', false);
+      if (error && error.responseText) {
+        bootbox.alert($.parseJSON(error.responseText).errors);
+      }
+      else {
+        bootbox.alert(I18n.t('generic_error'));
+      }
     });
   },
 
-
   save: function(){
     var group = this;
     group.set('disableSave', true);
diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/groups_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/groups_controller.rb
index 77ec8a27d6d..3379f6323cf 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/groups_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/groups_controller.rb
@@ -33,8 +33,11 @@ class Admin::GroupsController < Admin::AdminController
     group = Group.new
     group.name = params[:group][:name]
     group.usernames = params[:group][:usernames] if params[:group][:usernames]
-    group.save!
-    render_serialized(group, BasicGroupSerializer)
+    if group.save
+      render_serialized(group, BasicGroupSerializer)
+    else
+      render_json_error group
+    end
   end
 
   def destroy