diff --git a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/GroupRest.java b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/GroupRest.java
index 421ecc5587..6cb6a5723d 100644
--- a/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/GroupRest.java
+++ b/dspace-spring-rest/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/model/GroupRest.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ public class GroupRest extends DSpaceObjectRest {
 
     private boolean permanent;
 
-    @JsonIgnore
     private List<GroupRest> groups;
 
     @Override
@@ -57,6 +56,7 @@ public class GroupRest extends DSpaceObjectRest {
         this.permanent = permanent;
     }
 
+    @JsonIgnore
     @LinkRest(linkClass = GroupRest.class)
     public List<GroupRest> getGroups() {
         return groups;
diff --git a/dspace-spring-rest/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/matcher/GroupMatcher.java b/dspace-spring-rest/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/matcher/GroupMatcher.java
index c51e1097fd..e675a290d0 100644
--- a/dspace-spring-rest/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/matcher/GroupMatcher.java
+++ b/dspace-spring-rest/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/matcher/GroupMatcher.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package org.dspace.app.rest.matcher;
 import static com.jayway.jsonpath.matchers.JsonPathMatchers.hasJsonPath;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.allOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.endsWith;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
 import java.util.UUID;
@@ -25,16 +26,18 @@ public class GroupMatcher {
             hasJsonPath("$.uuid", is(uuid.toString())),
             hasJsonPath("$.name", is(name)),
             hasJsonPath("$.type", is("group")),
-            hasJsonPath("$._links.self.href", containsString("/api/eperson/groups/" + uuid.toString()))
+            hasJsonPath("$._links.self.href", containsString("/api/eperson/groups/" + uuid.toString())),
+            hasJsonPath("$._links.groups.href", endsWith(uuid.toString() + "/groups"))
         );
     }
 
     public static Matcher<? super Object> matchGroupWithName(String name) {
         return allOf(
             hasJsonPath("$.name", is(name)),
-            hasJsonPath("$.type", is("group"))
+            hasJsonPath("$.type", is("group")),
+            hasJsonPath("$._links.self.href", containsString("/api/eperson/groups/")),
+            hasJsonPath("$._links.groups.href", endsWith("/groups"))
         );
     }
 
-
 }