diff --git a/lib/private/Group/Database.php b/lib/private/Group/Database.php
index 569cfa5007f34..ef5641d81370d 100644
--- a/lib/private/Group/Database.php
+++ b/lib/private/Group/Database.php
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ public function getUserGroups($uid) {
 	 *
 	 * Returns a list with all groups
 	 */
-	public function getGroups($search = '', $limit = null, $offset = null) {
+	public function getGroups(string $search = '', int $limit = -1, int $offset = 0) {
 		$this->fixDI();
 
 		$query = $this->dbConn->getQueryBuilder();
@@ -283,8 +283,12 @@ public function getGroups($search = '', $limit = null, $offset = null) {
 			)));
 		}
 
-		$query->setMaxResults($limit)
-			->setFirstResult($offset);
+		if ($limit > 0) {
+			$query->setMaxResults($limit);
+		}
+		if ($offset > 0) {
+			$query->setFirstResult($offset);
+		}
 		$result = $query->execute();
 
 		$groups = [];
diff --git a/lib/private/Group/Manager.php b/lib/private/Group/Manager.php
index b718afa516828..0672e519e3668 100644
--- a/lib/private/Group/Manager.php
+++ b/lib/private/Group/Manager.php
@@ -236,14 +236,14 @@ public function createGroup($gid) {
 
 	/**
 	 * @param string $search
-	 * @param int $limit
-	 * @param int $offset
+	 * @param ?int $limit
+	 * @param ?int $offset
 	 * @return \OC\Group\Group[]
 	 */
-	public function search($search, $limit = null, $offset = null) {
+	public function search(string $search, ?int $limit = null, ?int $offset = 0) {
 		$groups = [];
 		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-			$groupIds = $backend->getGroups($search, $limit, $offset);
+			$groupIds = $backend->getGroups($search, $limit ?? -1, $offset ?? 0);
 			foreach ($groupIds as $groupId) {
 				$aGroup = $this->get($groupId);
 				if ($aGroup instanceof IGroup) {
diff --git a/lib/public/GroupInterface.php b/lib/public/GroupInterface.php
index 56863100c0504..a18d38df0022e 100644
--- a/lib/public/GroupInterface.php
+++ b/lib/public/GroupInterface.php
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public function getUserGroups($uid);
 	 *
 	 * Returns a list with all groups
 	 */
-	public function getGroups($search = '', $limit = -1, $offset = 0);
+	public function getGroups(string $search = '', int $limit = -1, int $offset = 0);
 
 	/**
 	 * check if a group exists
diff --git a/lib/public/IGroupManager.php b/lib/public/IGroupManager.php
index 2e2685eeeb4ef..a6655292398b0 100644
--- a/lib/public/IGroupManager.php
+++ b/lib/public/IGroupManager.php
@@ -96,12 +96,12 @@ public function createGroup($gid);
 
 	/**
 	 * @param string $search
-	 * @param int $limit
-	 * @param int $offset
+	 * @param ?int $limit
+	 * @param ?int $offset
 	 * @return \OCP\IGroup[]
 	 * @since 8.0.0
 	 */
-	public function search($search, $limit = null, $offset = null);
+	public function search(string $search, ?int $limit = null, ?int $offset = 0);
 
 	/**
 	 * @param \OCP\IUser|null $user