diff --git a/api.lua b/api.lua
index 730e96d..b5cfe3e 100644
--- a/api.lua
+++ b/api.lua
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function areas:canInteract(pos, name)
 	end
 	local owned = false
 	for _, area in pairs(self:getAreasAtPos(pos)) do
-		if area.owner == name or area.open then
+		if area.owner == name or area.open or usergroups:user_is_in_group(name, area.group) then
 			return true
 		else
 			owned = true
@@ -87,11 +87,24 @@ end
 function areas:getNodeOwners(pos)
 	local owners = {}
 	for _, area in pairs(self:getAreasAtPos(pos)) do
-		table.insert(owners, area.owner)
+    if area.owner and (area.owner ~= "") then
+      table.insert(owners, area.owner)
+    end
 	end
 	return owners
 end
 
+-- Returns a table (list) of all groups that own an area
+function areas:getNodeOwnerGroups(pos)
+  local ownerGroups = {}
+  for _, area in pairs(self:getAreasAtPos(pos)) do
+    if area.group then
+      table.insert(ownerGroups, area.group)
+    end
+  end
+  return ownerGroups
+end
+
 --- Checks if the area intersects with an area that the player can't interact in.
 -- Note that this fails and returns false when the specified area is fully
 -- owned by the player, but with multiple protection zones, none of which
diff --git a/chatcommands.lua b/chatcommands.lua
index 6079e93..9888cb0 100644
--- a/chatcommands.lua
+++ b/chatcommands.lua
@@ -68,6 +68,41 @@ minetest.register_chatcommand("set_owner", {
 	end
 })
 
+minetest.register_chatcommand("set_group_owner", {
+	params = "<GroupName> <AreaName>",
+	description = "Protect an area beetween two positions and give"
+		.." a group access to it without setting the parent of the"
+		.." area to any existing area",
+	privs = areas.adminPrivs,
+	func = function(name, param)
+		local groupName, areaName = param:match('^(%S+)%s(.+)$')
+
+		if not groupName then
+			return false, "Incorrect usage, see /help set_owner."
+		end
+
+		local pos1, pos2 = areas:getPos(name)
+		if not (pos1 and pos2) then
+			return false, "You need to select an area first."
+		end
+
+		if not usergroups:group_exists(groupName) then
+			return false, "The group \""
+					..groupName.."\" does not exist."
+		end
+
+		minetest.log("action", name.." runs /set_owner. Group = "..groupName..
+				" AreaName = "..areaName..
+				" StartPos = "..minetest.pos_to_string(pos1)..
+				" EndPos = "  ..minetest.pos_to_string(pos2))
+
+		local id = areas:add_with_group(groupName, areaName, pos1, pos2, nil)
+		areas:save()
+
+		return true, "Area protected. ID: "..id
+	end
+})
+
 
 minetest.register_chatcommand("add_owner", {
 	params = "<ParentID> <Player> <AreaName>",
diff --git a/depends.txt b/depends.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d840536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/depends.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+usergroups
diff --git a/hud.lua b/hud.lua
index 0b7931f..e7c79d3 100644
--- a/hud.lua
+++ b/hud.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,18 @@
 areas.hud = {}
 
 minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
+  function format_owner(area)
+    if area.owner then
+      return area.owner
+    end
+
+    if area.group then
+      return area.group
+    end
+
+    return ""
+  end
+
 	for _, player in pairs(minetest.get_connected_players()) do
 		local name = player:get_player_name()
 		local pos = vector.round(player:getpos())
@@ -10,15 +22,16 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 
 		for id, area in pairs(areas:getAreasAtPos(pos)) do
 			table.insert(areaStrings, ("%s [%u] (%s%s)")
-					:format(area.name, id, area.owner,
+					:format(area.name, id, format_owner(area),
 					area.open and ":open" or ""))
 		end
 
 		for i, area in pairs(areas:getExternalHudEntries(pos)) do
 			local str = ""
+      local formattedOwner = format_owner(area)
 			if area.name then str = area.name .. " " end
 			if area.id then str = str.."["..area.id.."] " end
-			if area.owner then str = str.."("..area.owner..")" end
+			if formattedOwner then str = str.."("..formattedOwner..")" end
 			table.insert(areaStrings, str)
 		end
 
diff --git a/interact.lua b/interact.lua
index 2e54800..9da2ab7 100644
--- a/interact.lua
+++ b/interact.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 local old_is_protected = minetest.is_protected
 function minetest.is_protected(pos, name)
 	if not areas:canInteract(pos, name) then
@@ -10,6 +9,11 @@ end
 minetest.register_on_protection_violation(function(pos, name)
 	if not areas:canInteract(pos, name) then
 		local owners = areas:getNodeOwners(pos)
+
+    if not owners[1] then
+      owners = areas:getNodeOwnerGroups(pos)
+    end
+
 		minetest.chat_send_player(name,
 			("%s is protected by %s."):format(
 				minetest.pos_to_string(pos),
diff --git a/internal.lua b/internal.lua
index bf7e92c..1de6047 100644
--- a/internal.lua
+++ b/internal.lua
@@ -96,6 +96,27 @@ function areas:add(owner, name, pos1, pos2, parent)
 	return id
 end
 
+--- Add a area.
+-- @return The new area's ID.
+function areas:add_with_group(group, name, pos1, pos2, parent)
+	local id = findFirstUnusedIndex(self.areas)
+	self.areas[id] = {
+		name = name,
+		pos1 = pos1,
+		pos2 = pos2,
+		group = group,
+		parent = parent
+	}
+	-- Add to AreaStore
+	if self.store then
+		local sid = self.store:insert_area(pos1, pos2, tostring(id))
+		if self:checkAreaStoreId(sid) then
+			self.store_ids[id] = sid
+		end
+	end
+	return id
+end
+
 --- Remove a area, and optionally it's children recursively.
 -- If a area is deleted non-recursively the children will
 -- have the removed area's parent as their new parent.