diff --git a/libretroshare/src/gxs/rsdataservice.cc b/libretroshare/src/gxs/rsdataservice.cc
index 857947ee6..5fddf1897 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/gxs/rsdataservice.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/gxs/rsdataservice.cc
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "rsdataservice.h"
+#include "retroshare/rsgxsflags.h"
 #include "util/rsstring.h"
 
 #define MSG_TABLE_NAME std::string("MESSAGES")
@@ -572,6 +573,38 @@ RsGxsGrpMetaData* RsDataService::locked_getGrpMeta(RetroCursor &c, int colOffset
     c.getString(mColGrpMeta_ParentGrpId, tempId);
     grpMeta->mParentGrpId = RsGxsGroupId(tempId);
 
+	// make sure that flags and keys are actually consistent
+
+	bool have_private_admin_key = false ;
+	bool have_private_publish_key = false ;
+
+	for(auto mit = grpMeta->keys.private_keys.begin(); mit != grpMeta->keys.private_keys.end();++mit)
+	{
+		if(mit->second.keyFlags == (RSTLV_KEY_DISTRIB_PUBLISH | RSTLV_KEY_TYPE_FULL)) have_private_publish_key = true ;
+		if(mit->second.keyFlags == (RSTLV_KEY_DISTRIB_ADMIN   | RSTLV_KEY_TYPE_FULL)) have_private_admin_key = true ;
+	}
+
+	if(have_private_admin_key && !(grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags & GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_ADMIN))
+	{
+		std::cerr << "(WW) inconsistency in group " << grpMeta->mGroupId << ": group does not have flag ADMIN but an admin key was found. Updating the flags." << std::endl;
+		grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags |= GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_ADMIN;
+	}
+	if(!have_private_admin_key && (grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags & GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_ADMIN))
+	{
+		std::cerr << "(WW) inconsistency in group " << grpMeta->mGroupId << ": group has flag ADMIN but no admin key found. Updating the flags." << std::endl;
+		grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags &= ~GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_ADMIN;
+	}
+	if(have_private_publish_key && !(grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags & GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_PUBLISH))
+	{
+		std::cerr << "(WW) inconsistency in group " << grpMeta->mGroupId << ": group does not have flag PUBLISH but an admin key was found. Updating the flags." << std::endl;
+		grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags |= GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_PUBLISH;
+	}
+	if(!have_private_publish_key && (grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags & GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_PUBLISH))
+	{
+		std::cerr << "(WW) inconsistency in group " << grpMeta->mGroupId << ": group has flag PUBLISH but no admin key found. Updating the flags." << std::endl;
+		grpMeta->mSubscribeFlags &= ~GXS_SERV::GROUP_SUBSCRIBE_PUBLISH;
+	}
+
     if(ok)
         return grpMeta;
     else