diff --git a/lib/Service/CirclesService.php b/lib/Service/CirclesService.php
index 92f3c85b2..f24c3e925 100644
--- a/lib/Service/CirclesService.php
+++ b/lib/Service/CirclesService.php
@@ -577,11 +577,11 @@ public function checkThatCircleIsNotFull(Circle $circle) {
 			$circle->getUniqueId(), Member::LEVEL_MEMBER, true
 		);
 
-		$limit = $circle->getSetting('members_limit');
+		$limit = (int) $circle->getSetting('members_limit');
 		if ($limit === -1) {
 			return;
 		}
-		if ($limit === 0 || $limit === '' || $limit === null) {
+		if ($limit === 0) {
 			$limit = $this->configService->getAppValue(ConfigService::CIRCLES_MEMBERS_LIMIT);
 		}
 
diff --git a/lib/Service/GroupsService.php b/lib/Service/GroupsService.php
index f0cbd7878..a8c52f6c0 100644
--- a/lib/Service/GroupsService.php
+++ b/lib/Service/GroupsService.php
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ class GroupsService {
 	/** @var IUserManager */
 	private $userManager;
 
+	/** @var ConfigService */
+	private $configService;
+
 	/** @var CirclesRequest */
 	private $circlesRequest;
 
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ class GroupsService {
 	 * @param IL10N $l10n
 	 * @param IGroupManager $groupManager
 	 * @param IUserManager $userManager
+	 * @param ConfigService $configService
 	 * @param CirclesRequest $circlesRequest
 	 * @param MembersRequest $membersRequest
 	 * @param CirclesService $circlesService
@@ -84,7 +88,7 @@ class GroupsService {
 	 */
 	public function __construct(
 		$userId, IL10N $l10n, IGroupManager $groupManager, IUserManager $userManager,
-		CirclesRequest $circlesRequest,
+		ConfigService $configService, CirclesRequest $circlesRequest,
 		MembersRequest $membersRequest, CirclesService $circlesService,
 		EventsService $eventsService, MiscService $miscService
 	) {
@@ -92,6 +96,7 @@ public function __construct(
 		$this->l10n = $l10n;
 		$this->groupManager = $groupManager;
 		$this->userManager = $userManager;
+		$this->configService = $configService;
 		$this->circlesRequest = $circlesRequest;
 		$this->membersRequest = $membersRequest;
 		$this->circlesService = $circlesService;
@@ -132,8 +137,13 @@ public function linkGroup($circleUniqueId, $groupId) {
 				$count++;
 			}
 
-			if ($count > $circle->getSetting('members_limit')) {
-				throw new \Exception('Group contains too many members');
+			$limit = (int) $circle->getSetting('members_limit');
+			if ($limit === 0) {
+				$limit = $this->configService->getAppValue(ConfigService::CIRCLES_MEMBERS_LIMIT);
+			}
+
+			if ($limit !== -1 && $count > $limit) {
+				throw new \Exception($this->l10n->t('Group contains too many members'));
 			}
 
 			$group = $this->getFreshNewMember($circleUniqueId, $groupId);