diff --git a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
index 51aeff6700c..a2e2459760f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/topics_controller.rb
@@ -202,9 +202,15 @@ class TopicsController < ApplicationController
     username_or_email = params[:user] ? fetch_username : fetch_email
 
     topic = Topic.find_by(id: params[:topic_id])
-    guardian.ensure_can_invite_to!(topic)
 
-    if topic.invite(current_user, username_or_email)
+    if group_ids = params[:group_ids]
+      group_ids = group_ids.split(",").map(&:to_i)
+      group_ids = Group.where(id: group_ids).pluck(:id)
+    end
+
+    guardian.ensure_can_invite_to!(topic,group_ids)
+
+    if topic.invite(current_user, username_or_email, group_ids)
       user = User.find_by_username_or_email(username_or_email)
       if user
         render_json_dump BasicUserSerializer.new(user, scope: guardian, root: 'user')
diff --git a/app/models/invite.rb b/app/models/invite.rb
index 2736dd4a387..c42405c5a00 100644
--- a/app/models/invite.rb
+++ b/app/models/invite.rb
@@ -54,31 +54,45 @@ class Invite < ActiveRecord::Base
   # Create an invite for a user, supplying an optional topic
   #
   # Return the previously existing invite if already exists. Returns nil if the invite can't be created.
-  def self.invite_by_email(email, invited_by, topic=nil)
+  def self.invite_by_email(email, invited_by, topic=nil, group_ids=nil)
     lower_email = Email.downcase(email)
+    user = User.find_by(email: lower_email)
+
+    if user
+      topic.grant_permission_to_user(lower_email) if topic && topic.private_message?
+      return nil
+    end
+
     invite = Invite.with_deleted
-                   .where('invited_by_id = ? and email = ?', invited_by.id, lower_email)
+                   .where(email: lower_email, invited_by_id: invited_by.id)
                    .order('created_at DESC')
                    .first
 
-    if invite && invite.expired?
+    if invite && (invite.expired? || invite.deleted_at)
       invite.destroy
       invite = nil
     end
 
-    if invite.blank?
-      invite = Invite.create(invited_by: invited_by, email: lower_email)
-      unless invite.valid?
-        topic.grant_permission_to_user(lower_email) if topic.present? && topic.email_already_exists_for?(invite)
-        return
+    if !invite
+      invite = Invite.create!(invited_by: invited_by, email: lower_email)
+    end
+
+    if topic && !invite.topic_invites.pluck(:topic_id).include?(topic.id)
+      invite.topic_invites.create!(invite_id: invite.id, topic_id: topic.id)
+      # to correct association
+      topic.reload
+    end
+
+    if group_ids.present?
+      group_ids = group_ids - invite.invited_groups.pluck(:group_id)
+      group_ids.each do |group_id|
+        invite.invited_groups.create!(group_id: group_id)
       end
     end
 
-    # Recover deleted invites if we invite them again
-    invite.recover! if invite.deleted_at.present?
-
-    topic.topic_invites.create(invite_id: invite.id) if topic.present?
     Jobs.enqueue(:invite_email, invite_id: invite.id)
+
+    invite.reload
     invite
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/topic.rb b/app/models/topic.rb
index 99fd3e16eeb..fdb723be9bc 100644
--- a/app/models/topic.rb
+++ b/app/models/topic.rb
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   # Invite a user to the topic by username or email. Returns success/failure
-  def invite(invited_by, username_or_email)
+  def invite(invited_by, username_or_email, group_ids=nil)
     if private_message?
       # If the user exists, add them to the topic.
       user = User.find_by_username_or_email(username_or_email)
@@ -541,14 +541,14 @@ class Topic < ActiveRecord::Base
 
     if username_or_email =~ /^.+@.+$/
       # NOTE callers expect an invite object if an invite was sent via email
-      invite_by_email(invited_by, username_or_email)
+      invite_by_email(invited_by, username_or_email, group_ids)
     else
       false
     end
   end
 
-  def invite_by_email(invited_by, email)
-    Invite.invite_by_email(email, invited_by, self)
+  def invite_by_email(invited_by, email, group_ids=nil)
+    Invite.invite_by_email(email, invited_by, self, group_ids)
   end
 
   def email_already_exists_for?(invite)
diff --git a/lib/guardian.rb b/lib/guardian.rb
index 9ee8cb40952..a12d7d56a08 100644
--- a/lib/guardian.rb
+++ b/lib/guardian.rb
@@ -196,8 +196,10 @@ class Guardian
     )
   end
 
-  def can_invite_to?(object)
-    can_see?(object) && can_invite_to_forum?
+  def can_invite_to?(object, group_ids=nil)
+    can_see?(object) &&
+    can_invite_to_forum? &&
+    ( group_ids.blank? || is_admin? )
   end
 
   def can_see_private_messages?(user_id)
diff --git a/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
index 2f1eae5b6ba..235b255dafa 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/topics_controller_spec.rb
@@ -748,6 +748,24 @@ describe TopicsController do
   end
 
   describe 'invite' do
+
+    describe "group invites" do
+      it "works correctly" do
+        group = Fabricate(:group)
+        topic = Fabricate(:topic)
+        admin = log_in(:admin)
+
+        xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: topic.id, email: 'hiro@from.heros', group_ids: "#{group.id}"
+
+        response.should be_success
+
+        invite = Invite.find_by(email: 'hiro@from.heros')
+        groups = invite.groups.to_a
+        groups.count.should == 1
+        groups[0].id.should == group.id
+      end
+    end
+
     it "won't allow us to invite toa topic when we're not logged in" do
       lambda { xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: 1, email: 'jake@adventuretime.ooo' }.should raise_error(Discourse::NotLoggedIn)
     end
@@ -763,7 +781,6 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       describe 'without permission' do
         it "raises an exception when the user doesn't have permission to invite to the topic" do
-          Guardian.any_instance.expects(:can_invite_to?).with(@topic).returns(false)
           xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: @topic.id, user: 'jake@adventuretime.ooo'
           response.should be_forbidden
         end
@@ -771,46 +788,25 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       describe 'with permission' do
 
-        before do
-          Guardian.any_instance.expects(:can_invite_to?).with(@topic).returns(true)
+        let!(:admin) do
+          log_in :admin
         end
 
-        context 'when it returns an invite' do
-          before do
-            Topic.any_instance.expects(:invite_by_email).with(@topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo').returns(Invite.new)
-            xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: @topic.id, user: 'jake@adventuretime.ooo'
-          end
-
-          it 'should succeed' do
-            response.should be_success
-          end
-
-          it 'returns success JSON' do
-            ::JSON.parse(response.body).should == {'success' => 'OK'}
-          end
+        it 'should work as expected' do
+          xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: @topic.id, user: 'jake@adventuretime.ooo'
+          response.should be_success
+          ::JSON.parse(response.body).should == {'success' => 'OK'}
+          Invite.where(invited_by_id: admin.id).count.should == 1
         end
 
-        context 'when it fails and returns nil' do
-
-          before do
-            Topic.any_instance.expects(:invite_by_email).with(@topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo').returns(nil)
-            xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: @topic.id, user: 'jake@adventuretime.ooo'
-          end
-
-          it 'should succeed' do
-            response.should_not be_success
-          end
-
-          it 'returns success JSON' do
-            ::JSON.parse(response.body).should == {'failed' => 'FAILED'}
-          end
-
+        it 'should fail on shoddy email' do
+          xhr :post, :invite, topic_id: @topic.id, user: 'i_am_not_an_email'
+          response.should_not be_success
+          ::JSON.parse(response.body).should == {'failed' => 'FAILED'}
         end
 
       end
 
-
-
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
index 9d52af523f9..600a24032e5 100644
--- a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
@@ -209,18 +209,19 @@ describe Invite do
 
     context 'invited to topics' do
       let!(:topic) { Fabricate(:private_message_topic) }
-      let!(:invite) { topic.invite(topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo')}
+      let!(:invite) {
+        topic.invite(topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo')
+      }
 
       context 'redeem topic invite' do
-        let!(:user) { invite.redeem }
 
         it 'adds the user to the topic_users' do
+          user = invite.redeem
+          topic.reload
           topic.allowed_users.include?(user).should be_true
-        end
-
-        it 'can see the private topic' do
           Guardian.new(user).can_see?(topic).should be_true
         end
+
       end
 
       context 'invited by another user to the same topic' do
@@ -229,16 +230,18 @@ describe Invite do
         let!(:user) { invite.redeem }
 
         it 'adds the user to the topic_users' do
+          topic.reload
           topic.allowed_users.include?(user).should be_true
         end
       end
 
       context 'invited by another user to a different topic' do
-        let(:coding_horror) { User.find_by(username: "CodingHorror") }
-        let(:another_topic) { Fabricate(:topic, archetype: "private_message", user: coding_horror) }
         let!(:another_invite) { another_topic.invite(coding_horror, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo') }
         let!(:user) { invite.redeem }
 
+        let(:coding_horror) { User.find_by(username: "CodingHorror") }
+        let(:another_topic) { Fabricate(:topic, archetype: "private_message", user: coding_horror) }
+
         it 'adds the user to the topic_users of the first topic' do
           topic.allowed_users.include?(user).should be_true
           another_topic.allowed_users.include?(user).should be_true
@@ -248,12 +251,9 @@ describe Invite do
 
         context 'if they redeem the other invite afterwards' do
 
-          before do
-            @result = another_invite.redeem
-          end
-
           it 'returns the same user' do
-            @result.should == user
+            result = another_invite.redeem
+            result.should == user
             another_invite.reload
             another_invite.should be_redeemed
           end
diff --git a/spec/models/topic_spec.rb b/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
index 38aa5390570..5cec3aedbb5 100644
--- a/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/topic_spec.rb
@@ -299,11 +299,6 @@ describe Topic do
 
     context 'invite' do
 
-      it "delegates to topic.invite_by_email when the user doesn't exist, but it's an email" do
-        topic.expects(:invite_by_email).with(topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo')
-        topic.invite(topic.user, 'jake@adventuretime.ooo')
-      end
-
       context 'existing user' do
         let(:walter) { Fabricate(:walter_white) }
 
@@ -324,19 +319,14 @@ describe Topic do
         end
 
         context 'by email' do
-          it 'returns true' do
-            topic.invite(topic.user, walter.email).should be_true
-          end
 
-          it 'adds walter to the allowed users' do
-            topic.invite(topic.user, walter.email)
+          it 'adds user correctly' do
+            lambda {
+              topic.invite(topic.user, walter.email).should be_true
+            }.should change(Notification, :count)
             topic.allowed_users.include?(walter).should be_true
           end
 
-          it 'creates a notification' do
-            lambda { topic.invite(topic.user, walter.email) }.should change(Notification, :count)
-          end
-
         end
       end