diff --git a/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.html b/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.html
index d009f0283e..8268eb5eb4 100644
--- a/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.html
+++ b/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.html
@@ -62,16 +62,9 @@
           <td class="align-middle">{{ dsoNameService.getName((group.object | async)?.payload) }}</td>
           <td class="align-middle">
             <div class="btn-group edit-field">
-              <button *ngIf="(isSubgroupOfGroup(group) | async) && !(isActiveGroup(group) | async)"
-                      (click)="deleteSubgroupFromGroup(group)"
-                      class="btn btn-outline-danger btn-sm deleteButton"
-                      title="{{messagePrefix + '.table.edit.buttons.remove' | translate: { name: dsoNameService.getName(group) } }}">
-                <i class="fas fa-trash-alt fa-fw"></i>
-              </button>
-
               <span *ngIf="(isActiveGroup(group) | async)">{{ messagePrefix + '.table.edit.currentGroup' | translate }}</span>
 
-              <button *ngIf="!(isSubgroupOfGroup(group) | async) && !(isActiveGroup(group) | async)"
+              <button *ngIf="!(isActiveGroup(group) | async)"
                       (click)="addSubgroupToGroup(group)"
                       class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-sm addButton"
                       title="{{messagePrefix + '.table.edit.buttons.add' | translate: { name: dsoNameService.getName(group) } }}">
diff --git a/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.ts b/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.ts
index 0cff730c62..83df0d8cdd 100644
--- a/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/access-control/group-registry/group-form/subgroup-list/subgroups-list.component.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,13 @@ import { UntypedFormBuilder } from '@angular/forms';
 import { Router } from '@angular/router';
 import { TranslateService } from '@ngx-translate/core';
 import { BehaviorSubject, Observable, of as observableOf, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { map, mergeMap, switchMap, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { mergeMap, switchMap, take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../../../../core/data/paginated-list.model';
 import { RemoteData } from '../../../../core/data/remote-data';
 import { GroupDataService } from '../../../../core/eperson/group-data.service';
 import { Group } from '../../../../core/eperson/models/group.model';
 import {
-  getFirstCompletedRemoteData,
-  getFirstSucceededRemoteData,
-  getRemoteDataPayload
+  getFirstCompletedRemoteData
 } from '../../../../core/shared/operators';
 import { NotificationsService } from '../../../../shared/notifications/notifications.service';
 import { PaginationComponentOptions } from '../../../../shared/pagination/pagination-component-options.model';
@@ -131,33 +129,6 @@ export class SubgroupsListComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
       }));
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Whether or not the given group is a subgroup of the group currently being edited
-   * @param possibleSubgroup Group that is a possible subgroup (being tested) of the group currently being edited
-   */
-  isSubgroupOfGroup(possibleSubgroup: Group): Observable<boolean> {
-    return this.groupDataService.getActiveGroup().pipe(take(1),
-      mergeMap((activeGroup: Group) => {
-        if (activeGroup != null) {
-          if (activeGroup.uuid === possibleSubgroup.uuid) {
-            return observableOf(false);
-          } else {
-            return this.groupDataService.findListByHref(activeGroup._links.subgroups.href, {
-              currentPage: 1,
-              elementsPerPage: 9999
-            })
-              .pipe(
-                getFirstSucceededRemoteData(),
-                getRemoteDataPayload(),
-                map((listTotalGroups: PaginatedList<Group>) => listTotalGroups.page.filter((groupInList: Group) => groupInList.id === possibleSubgroup.id)),
-                map((groups: Group[]) => groups.length > 0));
-          }
-        } else {
-          return observableOf(false);
-        }
-      }));
-  }
-
   /**
    * Whether or not the given group is the current group being edited
    * @param group Group that is possibly the current group being edited