diff --git a/Documentation/rest-api-groups.txt b/Documentation/rest-api-groups.txt
index a99c3bb772..5086e190ab 100644
--- a/Documentation/rest-api-groups.txt
+++ b/Documentation/rest-api-groups.txt
@@ -503,8 +503,9 @@ describes the created group.
   }
 ----
 
-If the group creation fails because the name is already in use the
-response is "`409 Conflict`".
+If the group creation fails because the name is already in use, or the
+UUID was specified and the UUID is already in use, the response is
+"`409 Conflict`".
 
 [[get-group-detail]]
 === Get Group Detail
@@ -1591,6 +1592,7 @@ a new internal group.
 |Field Name      ||Description
 |`name`          |optional|The name of the group (not encoded). +
 If set, must match the group name in the URL.
+|`uuid`          |optional|The UUID of the group.
 |`description`   |optional|The description of the group.
 |`visible_to_all`|optional|
 Whether the group is visible to all registered users. +
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/extensions/api/groups/GroupInput.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/extensions/api/groups/GroupInput.java
index ab38434168..30af08fb5a 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/extensions/api/groups/GroupInput.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/extensions/api/groups/GroupInput.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 public class GroupInput {
   public String name;
+  public String uuid;
   public String description;
   public Boolean visibleToAll;
   public String ownerId;
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/CreateGroupArgs.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/CreateGroupArgs.java
index 2c59a08350..2a764ccd6d 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/CreateGroupArgs.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/account/CreateGroupArgs.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 
 public class CreateGroupArgs {
   private AccountGroup.NameKey groupName;
+  public AccountGroup.UUID uuid;
   public String groupDescription;
   public boolean visibleToAll;
   public AccountGroup.UUID ownerGroupUuid;
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/CreateGroup.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/CreateGroup.java
index 531d350713..e5a1478b51 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/CreateGroup.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/group/CreateGroup.java
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@ public class CreateGroup
     AccountGroup.UUID ownerUuid = owner(input);
     CreateGroupArgs args = new CreateGroupArgs();
     args.setGroupName(name);
+    args.uuid = Strings.isNullOrEmpty(input.uuid) ? null : AccountGroup.UUID.parse(input.uuid);
+    if (args.uuid != null) {
+      if (!args.uuid.isInternalGroup()) {
+        throw new BadRequestException(String.format("invalid group UUID '%s'", args.uuid.get()));
+      }
+      if (groupCache.get(args.uuid).isPresent()) {
+        throw new ResourceConflictException(
+            String.format("group with UUID '%s' already exists", args.uuid.get()));
+      }
+    }
     args.groupDescription = Strings.emptyToNull(input.description);
     args.visibleToAll = MoreObjects.firstNonNull(input.visibleToAll, defaultVisibleToAll);
     args.ownerGroupUuid = ownerUuid;
@@ -196,9 +206,11 @@ public class CreateGroup
 
     AccountGroup.Id groupId = AccountGroup.id(sequences.nextGroupId());
     AccountGroup.UUID uuid =
-        GroupUuid.make(
-            createGroupArgs.getGroupName(),
-            self.get().newCommitterIdent(serverIdent.getWhen(), serverIdent.getTimeZone()));
+        MoreObjects.firstNonNull(
+            createGroupArgs.uuid,
+            GroupUuid.make(
+                createGroupArgs.getGroupName(),
+                self.get().newCommitterIdent(serverIdent.getWhen(), serverIdent.getTimeZone())));
     InternalGroupCreation groupCreation =
         InternalGroupCreation.builder()
             .setGroupUUID(uuid)
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
index 988580e399..17a0ea61b0 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/group/GroupsIT.java
@@ -414,6 +414,43 @@ public class GroupsIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("group name 'Anonymous Users' is reserved");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void createGroupWithUuid() throws Exception {
+    AccountGroup.UUID uuid = AccountGroup.UUID.parse("4eb25d1cca562f53b9356117f33840706a36a349");
+    GroupInput input = new GroupInput();
+    input.uuid = uuid.get();
+    input.name = name("new-group");
+    GroupInfo info = gApi.groups().create(input).get();
+    assertThat(info.name).isEqualTo(input.name);
+    assertThat(info.id).isEqualTo(input.uuid);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void createGroupWithExistingUuid_Conflict() throws Exception {
+    GroupInfo existingGroup = gApi.groups().create(name("new-group")).get();
+    GroupInput input = new GroupInput();
+    input.uuid = existingGroup.id;
+    input.name = name("another-new-group");
+    ResourceConflictException thrown =
+        assertThrows(ResourceConflictException.class, () -> gApi.groups().create(input).get());
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .isEqualTo(String.format("group with UUID '%s' already exists", input.uuid));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void createGroupWithInvalidUuid_BadRequest() throws Exception {
+    AccountGroup.UUID uuid = AccountGroup.UUID.parse("foo:bar");
+    GroupInput input = new GroupInput();
+    input.uuid = uuid.get();
+    input.name = name("new-group");
+    BadRequestException thrown =
+        assertThrows(BadRequestException.class, () -> gApi.groups().create(input).get());
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .isEqualTo(String.format("invalid group UUID '%s'", input.uuid));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void createGroupWithProperties() throws Exception {
     GroupInput in = new GroupInput();