diff --git a/include/i18n/en_US/department.yaml b/include/i18n/en_US/department.yaml
index 05ffc9d9ca54c86a5865bd2d317f561c0ced81a0..3de7de70b6a2965679f39a870e80460516d04206 100644
--- a/include/i18n/en_US/department.yaml
+++ b/include/i18n/en_US/department.yaml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
   signature: |
     Support Department
   ispublic: 1
+  group_membership: 1
 
 - id: 2
   name: Sales
@@ -24,9 +25,11 @@
     Sales and Customer Retention
   ispublic: 1
   sla_id: 1
+  group_membership: 1
 
 - id: 3
   name: Maintenance
   signature: |
     Maintenance Department
   ispublic: 0
+  group_membership: 0
diff --git a/include/staff/department.inc.php b/include/staff/department.inc.php
index d8998bda596885d0f181e67aaa24afb8f9110031..99a571feccc69fcdcd529b5c628a76d77b2dadaa 100644
--- a/include/staff/department.inc.php
+++ b/include/staff/department.inc.php
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ if($dept && $_REQUEST['a']!='add') {
     $info['ispublic']=isset($info['ispublic'])?$info['ispublic']:1;
     $info['ticket_auto_response']=isset($info['ticket_auto_response'])?$info['ticket_auto_response']:1;
     $info['message_auto_response']=isset($info['message_auto_response'])?$info['message_auto_response']:1;
+    if (!isset($info['group_membership']))
+        $info['group_membership'] = 1;
+
     $qstr.='&a='.$_REQUEST['a'];
 }
 $info=Format::htmlchars(($errors && $_POST)?$_POST:$info);