diff --git a/lib/addmagma.gi b/lib/addmagma.gi
index 72f692d91b..ab653cbf46 100644
--- a/lib/addmagma.gi
+++ b/lib/addmagma.gi
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ InstallGlobalFunction( SubadditiveMagmaNC, function( M, gens )
     if IsEmpty( gens ) then
       K:= NewType( FamilyObj(M),
                        IsAdditiveMagma
-                   and IsTrivial
+                   and IsEmpty
                    and IsAttributeStoringRep );
       S:= Objectify( K, rec() );
       SetGeneratorsOfAdditiveMagma( S, [] );
diff --git a/lib/magma.gi b/lib/magma.gi
index 47c3598d5a..00d1e7701f 100644
--- a/lib/magma.gi
+++ b/lib/magma.gi
@@ -1209,6 +1209,14 @@ InstallMethod( AsMagma,
     D := AsSSortedList( D );
     L := ShallowCopy( D );
     M := Submagma( MagmaByGenerators( D ), [] );
+    # the following is a workaround for a bug in the magma code: If the
+    # elements family of $M$ is associative, what is returned is not the
+    # empty magma, but the trivial magma.
+    # If this is the case (which is indicated by M being a group) rather
+    # create this trivial magma properly.
+    if IsGroup(M) then
+      M:=Submagma(MagmaByGenerators(D),[One(ElementsFamily(FamilyObj(D)))]);
+    fi;
     SubtractSet( L, AsSSortedList( M ) );
     while not IsEmpty(L)  do
         M := ClosureMagmaDefault( M, L[1] );