diff --git a/apisix/admin/consumers.lua b/apisix/admin/consumers.lua
index b0e461eb329d..7ab0ec1e2ad2 100644
--- a/apisix/admin/consumers.lua
+++ b/apisix/admin/consumers.lua
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ local core    = require("apisix.core")
 local plugins = require("apisix.admin.plugins")
 local utils   = require("apisix.admin.utils")
 local plugin  = require("apisix.plugin")
-local consumer_group  = require("apisix.consumer_group")
 local pairs   = pairs
 
 local _M = {
@@ -64,8 +63,18 @@ local function check_conf(username, conf)
     end
 
     if conf.group_id then
-        if consumer_group.get(conf.group_id) == nil then
-            return nil, {error_msg = "invalid consumer group: " .. conf.group_id}
+        local key = "/consumer_groups/" .. conf.group_id
+        local res, err = core.etcd.get(key)
+        if not res then
+            return nil, {error_msg = "failed to fetch consumer group info by "
+                                     .. "consumer group id [" .. conf.group_id .. "]: "
+                                     .. err}
+        end
+
+        if res.status ~= 200 then
+            return nil, {error_msg = "failed to fetch consumer group info by "
+                                     .. "consumer group id [" .. conf.group_id .. "], "
+                                     .. "response code: " .. res.status}
         end
     end
 
diff --git a/apisix/core/ctx.lua b/apisix/core/ctx.lua
index 715d2dce9fde..9b589b6b38e4 100644
--- a/apisix/core/ctx.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/ctx.lua
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ do
     local apisix_var_names = {
         balancer_ip = true,
         balancer_port = true,
-        consumer_name = true,
         consumer_group_id = true,
+        consumer_name = true,
         route_id = true,
         route_name = true,
         service_id = true,
diff --git a/t/admin/consumer-group.t b/t/admin/consumer-group.t
index bc10a409770b..176ed9f8aab8 100644
--- a/t/admin/consumer-group.t
+++ b/t/admin/consumer-group.t
@@ -546,4 +546,4 @@ passed
         }
     }
 --- response_body_like
-.*invalid consumer group.*
+.*failed to fetch consumer group info by consumer group id.*