diff --git a/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.spec.ts b/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.spec.ts
index eab9114900..30c490a45c 100644
--- a/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.spec.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ describe('GroupFormComponent', () => {
   let ePersonDataServiceStub: any;
   let groupsDataServiceStub: any;
   let authorizationService: AuthorizationDataService;
+  let notificationService: NotificationsServiceStub;
   let router;
 
   let groups;
@@ -76,6 +77,9 @@ describe('GroupFormComponent', () => {
       editGroup(group: Group) {
         this.activeGroup = group
       },
+      updateGroup(group: Group) {
+        return null;
+      },
       cancelEditGroup(): void {
         this.activeGroup = null;
       },
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ describe('GroupFormComponent', () => {
     builderService = getMockFormBuilderService();
     translateService = getMockTranslateService();
     router = new RouterMock();
+    notificationService = new NotificationsServiceStub();
     TestBed.configureTestingModule({
       imports: [CommonModule, NgbModule, FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule, BrowserModule,
         TranslateModule.forRoot({
@@ -109,7 +114,7 @@ describe('GroupFormComponent', () => {
       providers: [GroupFormComponent,
         { provide: EPersonDataService, useValue: ePersonDataServiceStub },
         { provide: GroupDataService, useValue: groupsDataServiceStub },
-        { provide: NotificationsService, useValue: new NotificationsServiceStub() },
+        { provide: NotificationsService, useValue: notificationService },
         { provide: FormBuilderService, useValue: builderService },
         { provide: DSOChangeAnalyzer, useValue: {} },
         { provide: HttpClient, useValue: {} },
@@ -154,6 +159,34 @@ describe('GroupFormComponent', () => {
         });
       }));
     });
+    describe('with active Group', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        spyOn(groupsDataServiceStub, 'getActiveGroup').and.returnValue(observableOf(expected));
+        spyOn(groupsDataServiceStub, 'updateGroup').and.returnValue(observableOf(new RestResponse(true, 200, 'OK')));
+        component.groupName.value = 'newGroupName';
+        component.onSubmit();
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+      });
+
+      it('should emit the existing group using the correct new values', async(() => {
+        const expected2 = Object.assign(new Group(), {
+          name: 'newGroupName',
+          metadata: {
+            'dc.description': [
+              {
+                value: groupDescription
+              }
+            ],
+          },
+        });
+        fixture.whenStable().then(() => {
+          expect(component.submitForm.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expected2);
+        });
+      }));
+      it('should emit success notification', () => {
+        expect(notificationService.success).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      })
+    });
   });
 
 });
diff --git a/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.ts b/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.ts
index 55d520cafb..4346fed9c7 100644
--- a/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+admin/admin-access-control/group-registry/group-form/group-form.component.ts
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export class GroupFormComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         if (group === null) {
           this.createNewGroup(values);
         } else {
-          this.editGroup(group, values);
+          this.editGroup(group);
         }
       }
     );
@@ -246,14 +246,37 @@ export class GroupFormComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   }
 
   /**
-   * // TODO
-   * @param group
-   * @param values
+   * Edit existing Group based on given values from form and old Group
+   * @param group   Group to edit and old values contained within
    */
-  editGroup(group: Group, values) {
-    // TODO (backend)
-    console.log('TODO implement editGroup', values);
-    this.notificationsService.error('TODO implement editGroup (not yet implemented in backend) ');
+  editGroup(group: Group) {
+    const editedGroup = Object.assign(new Group(), {
+      id: group.id,
+      metadata: {
+        'dc.description': [
+          {
+            value: (hasValue(this.groupDescription.value) ? this.groupDescription.value : group.firstMetadataValue('dc.description'))
+          }
+        ],
+      },
+      name: (hasValue(this.groupName.value) ? this.groupName.value : group.name),
+      _links: group._links,
+    });
+    const response = this.groupDataService.updateGroup(editedGroup);
+    response.pipe(take(1)).subscribe((restResponse: RestResponse) => {
+      console.log('resp', restResponse)
+      if (restResponse.isSuccessful) {
+        this.notificationsService.success(this.translateService.get(this.messagePrefix + '.notification.edited.success', { name: editedGroup.name }));
+        this.submitForm.emit(editedGroup);
+      } else {
+        this.notificationsService.error(this.translateService.get(this.messagePrefix + '.notification.edited.failure', { name: editedGroup.name }));
+        this.cancelForm.emit();
+      }
+    });
+
+    if (this.groupName.value != null && this.groupName.value !== group.name) {
+      this.showNotificationIfNameInUse(editedGroup, 'edited');
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/app/core/eperson/group-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/eperson/group-data.service.ts
index 4543f33cf0..be89afb7cc 100644
--- a/src/app/core/eperson/group-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/eperson/group-data.service.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { HttpClient, HttpHeaders } from '@angular/common/http';
 import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
 
 import { createSelector, select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
+import { Operation } from 'fast-json-patch/lib/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
 import { filter, map, take, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import {
@@ -21,12 +22,19 @@ import { DataService } from '../data/data.service';
 import { DSOChangeAnalyzer } from '../data/dso-change-analyzer.service';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../data/paginated-list';
 import { RemoteData } from '../data/remote-data';
-import { CreateRequest, DeleteRequest, FindListOptions, FindListRequest, PostRequest } from '../data/request.models';
+import {
+  CreateRequest,
+  DeleteRequest,
+  FindListOptions,
+  FindListRequest,
+  PatchRequest,
+  PostRequest
+} from '../data/request.models';
 
 import { RequestService } from '../data/request.service';
 import { HttpOptions } from '../dspace-rest-v2/dspace-rest-v2.service';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../shared/hal-endpoint.service';
-import { getResponseFromEntry } from '../shared/operators';
+import { getRemoteDataPayload, getResponseFromEntry, getSucceededRemoteData } from '../shared/operators';
 import { EPerson } from './models/eperson.model';
 import { Group } from './models/group.model';
 import { dataService } from '../cache/builders/build-decorators';
@@ -135,26 +143,41 @@ export class GroupDataService extends DataService<Group> {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Create or Update a group
-   *  If the group contains an id, it is assumed the eperson already exists and is updated instead
-   * @param group    The group to create or update
+   * Add a new patch to the object cache
+   * The patch is derived from the differences between the given object and its version in the object cache
+   * @param group The group with changes
    */
-  public createOrUpdateGroup(group: Group): Observable<RemoteData<Group>> {
-    const isUpdate = hasValue(group.id);
-    if (isUpdate) {
-      return this.updateGroup(group);
-    } else {
-      return this.create(group, null);
-    }
+  updateGroup(group: Group): Observable<RestResponse> {
+    const requestId = this.requestService.generateRequestId();
+    const oldVersion$ = this.findByHref(group._links.self.href);
+    oldVersion$.pipe(
+      getSucceededRemoteData(),
+      getRemoteDataPayload(),
+      map((oldGroup: Group) => {
+        const operations = this.generateOperations(oldGroup, group);
+        const patchRequest = new PatchRequest(requestId, group._links.self.href, operations);
+        return this.requestService.configure(patchRequest);
+      }),
+      take(1)
+    ).subscribe();
+
+    return this.fetchResponse(requestId);
   }
 
   /**
-   * // TODO
-   * @param {DSpaceObject} ePerson The given object
+   * Metadata operations are generated by the difference between old and new Group
+   * Custom replace operation for the other group Name value
+   * @param oldGroup
+   * @param newGroup
    */
-  updateGroup(group: Group): Observable<RemoteData<Group>> {
-    // TODO
-    return null;
+  private generateOperations(oldGroup: Group, newGroup: Group): Operation[] {
+    let operations = this.comparator.diff(oldGroup, newGroup).filter((operation: Operation) => operation.op === 'replace');
+    if (hasValue(oldGroup.name) && oldGroup.name !== newGroup.name) {
+      operations = [...operations, {
+        op: 'replace', path: '/name', value: newGroup.name
+      }];
+    }
+    return operations;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5 b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
index 90efbe3546..3584382c2e 100644
--- a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
@@ -327,6 +327,12 @@
 
   "admin.access-control.groups.form.notification.created.failure.groupNameInUse": "Failed to create Group with name: \"{{name}}\", make sure the name is not already in use.",
 
+  "admin.access-control.groups.form.notification.edited.failure": "Failed to edit Group \"{{name}}\"",
+
+  "admin.access-control.groups.form.notification.edited.failure.groupNameInUse": "Name \"{{name}}\" already in use!",
+
+  "admin.access-control.groups.form.notification.edited.success": "Successfully edited Group \"{{name}}\"",
+
   "admin.access-control.groups.form.actions.delete": "Delete Group",
 
   "admin.access-control.groups.form.delete-group.modal.header": "Delete Group \"{{ dsoName }}\"",