diff --git a/anki/deck.py b/anki/deck.py
index 9cf16a524..6720a1354 100644
--- a/anki/deck.py
+++ b/anki/deck.py
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ from anki.hooks import runHook, runFilter
 from anki.sched import Scheduler
 from anki.models import ModelRegistry
 from anki.media import MediaRegistry
+from anki.groups import GroupRegistry
 from anki.consts import *
 from anki.errors import AnkiError
 
 import anki.latex # sets up hook
-import anki.cards, anki.facts, anki.template, anki.cram, \
-    anki.groups, anki.find
+import anki.cards, anki.facts, anki.template, anki.cram, anki.find
 
 # Settings related to queue building. These may be loaded without the rest of
 # the config to check due counts faster on mobile clients.
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class _Deck(object):
         self.clearUndo()
         self.media = MediaRegistry(self)
         self.models = ModelRegistry(self)
+        self.groups = GroupRegistry(self)
         self.load()
         if not self.crt:
             d = datetime.datetime.today()
@@ -88,15 +89,14 @@ class _Deck(object):
          self.qconf,
          self.conf,
          models,
-         self.groups,
-         self.gconf) = self.db.first("""
+         groups,
+         gconf) = self.db.first("""
 select crt, mod, scm, dty, syncName, lastSync,
 qconf, conf, models, groups, gconf from deck""")
         self.qconf = simplejson.loads(self.qconf)
         self.conf = simplejson.loads(self.conf)
-        self.groups = simplejson.loads(self.groups)
-        self.gconf = simplejson.loads(self.gconf)
         self.models.load(models)
+        self.groups.load(groups, gconf)
 
     def flush(self, mod=None):
         "Flush state to DB, updating mod time."
@@ -104,14 +104,13 @@ qconf, conf, models, groups, gconf from deck""")
         self.db.execute(
             """update deck set
 crt=?, mod=?, scm=?, dty=?, syncName=?, lastSync=?,
-qconf=?, conf=?, groups=?, gconf=?""",
+qconf=?, conf=?""",
             self.crt, self.mod, self.scm, self.dty,
             self.syncName, self.lastSync,
             simplejson.dumps(self.qconf),
-            simplejson.dumps(self.conf),
-            simplejson.dumps(self.groups),
-            simplejson.dumps(self.gconf))
+            simplejson.dumps(self.conf))
         self.models.flush()
+        self.groups.flush()
 
     def save(self, name=None, mod=None):
         "Flush, commit DB, and take out another write lock."
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@ select id from facts where id in %s and id not in (select fid from cards)""" %
                 fields[name] = ""
         fields['Tags'] = data[5]
         fields['Model'] = model['name']
-        fields['Group'] = self.groupName(data[3])
+        fields['Group'] = self.groups.name(data[3])
         template = model['tmpls'][data[4]]
         fields['Template'] = template['name']
         # render q & a
@@ -504,43 +503,6 @@ update facts set tags = :t, mod = :n where id = :id""", [fix(row) for row in res
     def delTags(self, ids, tags):
         self.addTags(ids, tags, False)
 
-    # Groups
-    ##########################################################################
-    # the id keys are strings because that's the way they're stored in json,
-    # but the anki code passes around integers
-
-    def groupID(self, name, create=True):
-        "Add a group with NAME. Reuse group if already exists. Return id."
-        for id, g in self.groups.items():
-            if g['name'].lower() == name.lower():
-                return int(id)
-        if not create:
-            return None
-        g = dict(name=name, conf=1, mod=intTime())
-        while 1:
-            id = intTime(1000)
-            if str(id) in self.groups:
-                continue
-            self.groups[str(id)] = g
-            return id
-
-    def groupName(self, gid):
-        return self.groups[str(gid)]['name']
-
-    def groupConf(self, gid):
-        return self.gconf[str(self.groups[str(gid)]['conf'])]
-
-    def delGroup(self, gid):
-        self.modSchema()
-        self.db.execute("update cards set gid = 1 where gid = ?", gid)
-        self.db.execute("update facts set gid = 1 where gid = ?", gid)
-        self.db.execute("delete from groups where id = ?", gid)
-        print "fixme: loop through models and update stale gid references"
-
-    def setGroup(self, cids, gid):
-        self.db.execute(
-            "update cards set gid = ? where id in "+ids2str(cids), gid)
-
     # Tag-based selective study
     ##########################################################################
 
diff --git a/anki/find.py b/anki/find.py
index 9111f1fc2..a1e86eece 100644
--- a/anki/find.py
+++ b/anki/find.py
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ order by %s""" % (lim, sort)
 
     def _findGroup(self, val, isNeg):
         extra = "!" if isNeg else ""
-        id = self.deck.groupID(val, create=False) or 0
-        self.lims['card'].append("c.gid %s= %d" % (extra, id))
+        id = self.deck.groups.id(val, create=False) or 0
+        self.lims['card'].append("c.gid %s= %s" % (extra, id))
 
     def _findTemplate(self, val, isNeg):
         lims = []
diff --git a/anki/groups.py b/anki/groups.py
index 0c56c9617..02f88b0f8 100644
--- a/anki/groups.py
+++ b/anki/groups.py
@@ -39,3 +39,65 @@ defaultData = {
     'activeTags': None,
     'inactiveTags': None,
 }
+
+class GroupRegistry(object):
+
+    # Registry save/load
+    #############################################################
+
+    def __init__(self, deck):
+        self.deck = deck
+
+    def load(self, groups, gconf):
+        self.groups = simplejson.loads(groups)
+        self.gconf = simplejson.loads(gconf)
+        self.changed = False
+
+    def save(self, g):
+        g['mod'] = intTime()
+        self.changed = True
+
+    def flush(self):
+        if self.changed:
+            self.deck.db.execute("update deck set groups=?, gconf=?",
+                                 simplejson.dumps(self.groups),
+                                 simplejson.dumps(self.gconf))
+
+    # Group save/load
+    #############################################################
+
+    def id(self, name, create=True):
+        "Add a group with NAME. Reuse group if already exists. Return id as int."
+        for id, g in self.groups.items():
+            if g['name'].lower() == name.lower():
+                return int(id)
+        if not create:
+            return None
+        g = dict(name=name, conf=1, mod=intTime())
+        while 1:
+            id = str(intTime(1000))
+            if id in self.groups:
+                continue
+            self.groups[id] = g
+            self.save(g)
+            return int(id)
+
+    def del_(self, gid):
+        self.deck.modSchema()
+        self.deck.db.execute("update cards set gid = 1 where gid = ?", gid)
+        self.deck.db.execute("update facts set gid = 1 where gid = ?", gid)
+        self.deck.db.execute("delete from groups where id = ?", gid)
+        print "fixme: loop through models and update stale gid references"
+
+    # Utils
+    #############################################################
+
+    def name(self, gid):
+        return self.groups[str(gid)]['name']
+
+    def conf(self, gid):
+        return self.gconf[str(self.groups[str(gid)]['conf'])]
+
+    def setGroup(self, cids, gid):
+        self.db.execute(
+            "update cards set gid = ? where id in "+ids2str(cids), gid)
diff --git a/anki/sched.py b/anki/sched.py
index 3af84e5fd..389947e84 100644
--- a/anki/sched.py
+++ b/anki/sched.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ from cards group by gid""", self.today):
                 for (gid, grp) in self._orderedGroups()]
 
     def _orderedGroups(self):
-        grps = self.deck.groups.items()
+        grps = self.deck.groups.groups.items()
         def key(grp):
             return grp[1]['name']
         grps.sort(key=key)
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ queue = 2 %s and due <= :lim order by %s limit %d""" % (
     ##########################################################################
 
     def _cardConf(self, card):
-        return self.deck.groupConf(card.gid)
+        return self.deck.groups.conf(card.gid)
 
     def _groupLimit(self):
         l = self.deck.qconf['groups']
diff --git a/anki/stats.py b/anki/stats.py
index 3ab8fb4b2..08f899fc7 100644
--- a/anki/stats.py
+++ b/anki/stats.py
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ class CardStats(object):
             self.addLine(_("Position"), c.due)
         self.addLine(_("Model"), c.model()['name'])
         self.addLine(_("Template"), c.template()['name'])
-        self.addLine(_("Current Group"), self.deck.groupName(c.gid))
-        self.addLine(_("Initial Group"), self.deck.groupName(c.fact().gid))
+        self.addLine(_("Current Group"), self.deck.groups.name(c.gid))
+        self.addLine(_("Home Group"), self.deck.groups.name(c.fact().gid))
         self.txt += "</table>"
         return self.txt
 
diff --git a/tests/test_deck.py b/tests/test_deck.py
index ec47fb591..4db191f90 100644
--- a/tests/test_deck.py
+++ b/tests/test_deck.py
@@ -133,15 +133,15 @@ def test_upgrade():
 def test_groups():
     deck = getEmptyDeck()
     # we start with a standard group
-    assert len(deck.groups) == 1
+    assert len(deck.groups.groups) == 1
     # it should have an id of 1
-    assert deck.groups['1']
+    assert deck.groups.name(1)
     # create a new group
-    ts = deck.groupID("new group")
-    assert ts
-    assert len(deck.groups) == 2
+    g = deck.groups.id("new group")
+    assert g
+    assert len(deck.groups.groups) == 2
     # should get the same id
-    assert deck.groupID("new group") == ts
+    assert deck.groups.id("new group") == g
     # by default, everything should be shown
     assert not deck.qconf['groups']
 
diff --git a/tests/test_sched.py b/tests/test_sched.py
index b329efe82..321e8947b 100644
--- a/tests/test_sched.py
+++ b/tests/test_sched.py
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ def test_ordcycle():
 def test_counts():
     d = getEmptyDeck()
     # add a second group
-    assert d.groupID("new group")
+    assert d.groups.id("new group")
     # for each card type
     for type in range(3):
         # and each of the groups
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ def test_groupCounts():
     # and one that's a child
     f = d.newFact()
     f['Front'] = u"two"
-    default1 = f.gid = d.groupID("Default::1")
+    default1 = f.gid = d.groups.id("Default::1")
     d.addFact(f)
     # make it a review card
     c = f.cards()[0]
@@ -690,16 +690,16 @@ def test_groupCounts():
     # add one more with a new group
     f = d.newFact()
     f['Front'] = u"two"
-    foobar = f.gid = d.groupID("foo::bar")
+    foobar = f.gid = d.groups.id("foo::bar")
     d.addFact(f)
     # and one that's a sibling
     f = d.newFact()
     f['Front'] = u"three"
-    foobaz = f.gid = d.groupID("foo::baz")
+    foobaz = f.gid = d.groups.id("foo::baz")
     d.addFact(f)
     d.reset()
     assert d.sched.counts() == (3, 0, 1)
-    assert len(d.groups) == 4
+    assert len(d.groups.groups) == 4
     cnts = d.sched.groupCounts()
     assert cnts[0] == ["Default", 1, 1, 0, 1]
     assert cnts[1] == ["Default::1", default1, 1, 1, 0]