diff --git a/app/overrides/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_override.rb b/app/overrides/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_override.rb
index b111bebfa..42473eb3f 100644
--- a/app/overrides/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_override.rb
+++ b/app/overrides/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_override.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 Hydra::AccessControls::Visibility.module_eval do
   alias_method :original_visibility, :visibility
   def visibility
-    # [hyc-override] Default to the most permissive visibility for new records
-    return Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PUBLIC if self.new_record?
+    # [hyc-override] Default to the most permissive visibility for new records if no read groups are specified
+    return Hydra::AccessControls::AccessRight::VISIBILITY_TEXT_VALUE_PUBLIC if new_record? && read_groups.blank?
     original_visibility
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_spec.rb b/spec/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_spec.rb
index 2f28587d3..d6178ee60 100644
--- a/spec/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/hydra/access_controls/visibility_spec.rb
@@ -6,12 +6,28 @@
     context 'with a new article' do
       let(:article) { Article.new }
 
-      it 'has default public visibility' do
+      it 'has default open visibility' do
         expect(article.visibility).to eq 'open'
       end
     end
 
-    context 'with an existing article with no defined read groups' do
+    context 'with a new article with registered group' do
+      let(:article) { Article.new(read_groups: ['registered']) }
+
+      it 'has authenticated visibility' do
+        expect(article.visibility).to eq 'authenticated'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with a new article with private group' do
+      let(:article) { Article.new(read_groups: ['private']) }
+
+      it 'has restricted visibility' do
+        expect(article.visibility).to eq 'restricted'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with an existing article with empty read groups' do
       let(:article) do
         FactoryBot.create(
           :article,
@@ -35,6 +51,19 @@
       it 'has authenticated visibility' do
         expect(article.visibility).to eq 'authenticated'
       end
-    end    
+    end
+
+    context 'with an existing article with public read group' do
+      let(:article) do
+        FactoryBot.create(
+          :article,
+          read_groups: ['public']
+        )
+      end
+
+      it 'has open visibility' do
+        expect(article.visibility).to eq 'open'
+      end
+    end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end