diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/GetGroups.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/GetGroups.java
index 2a43841248..d2706566f7 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/GetGroups.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/GetGroups.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package com.google.gerrit.server.account;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.NoSuchGroupException;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Account;
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ public class GetGroups implements RestReadView<AccountResource> {
 
   @Override
   public List<GroupInfo> apply(AccountResource resource)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     IdentifiedUser user = resource.getUser();
     Account.Id userId = user.getAccountId();
     List<GroupInfo> groups = Lists.newArrayList();
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/CreateGroup.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/CreateGroup.java
index af336c5f57..d78c7df3c1 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/CreateGroup.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/CreateGroup.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.PermissionDeniedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.RequiresCapability;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestModifyView;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.TopLevelResource;
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ class CreateGroup implements RestModifyView<TopLevelResource, Input> {
   @Override
   public GroupInfo apply(TopLevelResource resource, Input input)
       throws ResourceNotFoundException, AuthException, BadRequestException,
-      NameAlreadyUsedException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      NameAlreadyUsedException, OrmException {
     if (input == null) {
       input = new Input();
     }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetDetail.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetDetail.java
index 9d17b62439..adb04cdb77 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetDetail.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetDetail.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.server.group;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.common.groups.ListGroupsOption;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.group.GroupJson.GroupInfo;
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ public class GetDetail implements RestReadView<GroupResource> {
 
   @Override
   public GroupInfo apply(GroupResource rsrc) throws ResourceNotFoundException,
-      MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      OrmException {
     return json.format(rsrc);
   }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetGroup.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetGroup.java
index 7bc5ee0005..32cf9be438 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetGroup.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetGroup.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.server.group;
 
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.group.GroupJson.GroupInfo;
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ class GetGroup implements RestReadView<GroupResource> {
 
   @Override
   public GroupInfo apply(GroupResource resource)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     return json.format(resource.getGroup());
   }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetIncludedGroup.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetIncludedGroup.java
index d6ae1c5a3b..7e63816f09 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetIncludedGroup.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetIncludedGroup.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.server.group;
 
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.group.GroupJson.GroupInfo;
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ public class GetIncludedGroup implements RestReadView<IncludedGroupResource>  {
 
   @Override
   public GroupInfo apply(IncludedGroupResource rsrc)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     return json.format(rsrc.getMemberDescription());
   }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetOwner.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetOwner.java
index 169fbdd1b1..797544d0ee 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetOwner.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GetOwner.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.server.group;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.NoSuchGroupException;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.AccountGroup;
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ public class GetOwner implements RestReadView<GroupResource> {
 
   @Override
   public GroupInfo apply(GroupResource resource)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     AccountGroup group = resource.toAccountGroup();
     if (group == null) {
       throw new ResourceNotFoundException();
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GroupJson.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GroupJson.java
index dcf36674ab..cc57b3c684 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GroupJson.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/GroupJson.java
@@ -65,15 +65,15 @@ public class GroupJson {
     return this;
   }
 
-  public GroupInfo format(GroupResource rsrc)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+  public GroupInfo format(GroupResource rsrc) throws ResourceNotFoundException,
+      OrmException {
     GroupInfo info = init(rsrc.getGroup());
     initMembersAndIncludes(rsrc, info);
     return info;
   }
 
   public GroupInfo format(GroupDescription.Basic group)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     GroupInfo info = init(group);
     if (options.contains(MEMBERS) || options.contains(INCLUDES)) {
       GroupResource rsrc =
@@ -107,15 +107,25 @@ public class GroupJson {
   }
 
   private GroupInfo initMembersAndIncludes(GroupResource rsrc, GroupInfo info)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
-    if (options.contains(MEMBERS)) {
-      info.members = listMembers.get().apply(rsrc);
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
+    if (rsrc.toAccountGroup() == null) {
+      return info;
     }
+    try {
+      if (options.contains(MEMBERS)) {
+        info.members = listMembers.get().apply(rsrc);
+      }
 
-    if (options.contains(INCLUDES)) {
-      info.includes = listIncludes.get().apply(rsrc);
+      if (options.contains(INCLUDES)) {
+        info.includes = listIncludes.get().apply(rsrc);
+      }
+      return info;
+    } catch (MethodNotAllowedException e) {
+      // should never happen, this exception is only thrown if we would try to
+      // list members/includes of an external group, but in case of an external
+      // group we return before
+      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
     }
-    return info;
   }
 
   public static class GroupInfo {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/ListGroups.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/ListGroups.java
index 97614ef24a..88a7ca8df8 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/ListGroups.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/group/ListGroups.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import com.google.gerrit.common.errors.NoSuchGroupException;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.groups.ListGroupsOption;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.BadRequestException;
-import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceNotFoundException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestReadView;
@@ -147,8 +146,7 @@ public class ListGroups implements RestReadView<TopLevelResource> {
         new TypeToken<Map<String, GroupInfo>>() {}.getType());
   }
 
-  public List<GroupInfo> get() throws ResourceNotFoundException,
-      MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+  public List<GroupInfo> get() throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     List<GroupInfo> groupInfos;
     if (user != null) {
       if (owned) {
@@ -189,7 +187,7 @@ public class ListGroups implements RestReadView<TopLevelResource> {
   }
 
   private List<GroupInfo> getGroupsOwnedBy(IdentifiedUser user)
-      throws ResourceNotFoundException, MethodNotAllowedException, OrmException {
+      throws ResourceNotFoundException, OrmException {
     List<GroupInfo> groups = Lists.newArrayList();
     for (AccountGroup g : filterGroups(groupCache.all())) {
       GroupControl ctl = groupControlFactory.controlFor(g);