diff --git a/include/user.php b/include/user.php
index 2d06ef3742..282bbdbba2 100644
--- a/include/user.php
+++ b/include/user.php
@@ -277,18 +277,24 @@ function create_user($arr) {
 		require_once('include/group.php');
 		group_add($newuid, t('Friends'));
 
-		if(! get_config('system', 'newuser_public')) {
-			$r = q("SELECT id FROM `group` WHERE uid = %d AND name = '%s'",
-				intval($newuid),
-				dbesc(t('Friends'))
+		$r = q("SELECT id FROM `group` WHERE uid = %d AND name = '%s'",
+			intval($newuid),
+			dbesc(t('Friends'))
+		);
+		if($r && count($r)) {
+			$def_gid = $r[0]['id'];
+
+			q("UPDATE user SET def_gid = %d WHERE uid = %d",
+				intval($r[0]['id']),
+				intval($newuid)
+			);
+		}
+
+		if(get_config('system', 'newuser_private') && $def_gid) {
+			q("UPDATE user SET allow_gid = '%s' WHERE uid = %d",
+			   dbesc("<" . $def_gid . ">"),
+			   intval($newuid)
 			);
-			if($r) {
-				q("UPDATE user SET def_gid = %d, allow_gid = '%s' WHERE uid = %d",
-				   intval($r[0]['id']),
-				   dbesc("<" . $r[0]['id'] . ">"),
-				   intval($newuid)
-				);
-			}
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/mod/admin.php b/mod/admin.php
index db4d4cff25..2d1d21bb47 100644
--- a/mod/admin.php
+++ b/mod/admin.php
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function admin_page_site_post(&$a){
 	$force_publish		=	((x($_POST,'publish_all'))		? True						: False);
 	$global_directory	=	((x($_POST,'directory_submit_url'))	? notags(trim($_POST['directory_submit_url']))	: '');
 	$thread_allow		=	((x($_POST,'thread_allow'))		? True						: False);
-	$newuser_public		=	((x($_POST,'newuser_public'))		? True						: False);
+	$newuser_private		=	((x($_POST,'newuser_private'))		? True						: False);
 	$no_multi_reg		=	((x($_POST,'no_multi_reg'))		? True						: False);
 	$no_openid		=	!((x($_POST,'no_openid'))		? True						: False);
 	$no_regfullname		=	!((x($_POST,'no_regfullname'))		? True						: False);
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ function admin_page_site_post(&$a){
 		set_config('system','directory_submit_url', $global_directory);
 	}
 	set_config('system','thread_allow', $thread_allow);
-	set_config('system','newuser_public', $newuser_public);
+	set_config('system','newuser_private', $newuser_private;
 
 	set_config('system','block_extended_register', $no_multi_reg);
 	set_config('system','no_openid', $no_openid);
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ function admin_page_site(&$a) {
 		'$force_publish'	=> array('publish_all', t("Force publish"), get_config('system','publish_all'), t("Check to force all profiles on this site to be listed in the site directory.")),
 		'$global_directory'	=> array('directory_submit_url', t("Global directory update URL"), get_config('system','directory_submit_url'), t("URL to update the global directory. If this is not set, the global directory is completely unavailable to the application.")),
 		'$thread_allow'		=> array('thread_allow', t("Allow threaded items"), get_config('system','thread_allow'), t("Allow infinite level threading for items on this site.")),
-		'$newuser_public'	=> array('newuser_public', t("No default permissions for new users"), get_config('system','newuser_public'), t("New users will have no private permissions set for their posts by default, making their posts public until they change it.")),
+		'$newuser_private'	=> array('newuser_private', t("Private posts by default for new users"), get_config('system','newuser_private'), t("Set default post permissions for all new members to the default privacy group rather than public.")),
 			
 		'$no_multi_reg'		=> array('no_multi_reg', t("Block multiple registrations"),  get_config('system','block_extended_register'), t("Disallow users to register additional accounts for use as pages.")),
 		'$no_openid'		=> array('no_openid', t("OpenID support"), !get_config('system','no_openid'), t("OpenID support for registration and logins.")),
diff --git a/mod/newmember.php b/mod/newmember.php
index e17a0db037..8028e7e08d 100644
--- a/mod/newmember.php
+++ b/mod/newmember.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function newmember_content(&$a) {
 
 	$o .= '<li>' . '<a target="newmember" href="contacts">' . t('Group Your Contacts') . '</a><br />' . t('Once you have made some friends, organize them into private conversation groups from the sidebar of your Contacts page and then you can interact with each group privately on your Network page.') . '</li>' . EOL;
 
-	if(! get_config('system', 'newuser_public')) {
+	if(get_config('system', 'newuser_private')) {
 		$o .= '<li>' . '<a target="newmember" href="help/Groups-and-Privacy">' . t("Why Aren't My Posts Public?") . '</a><br />' . t("Friendica respects your privacy. By default, your posts will only show up to people you've added as friends. For more information, see the help section from the link above.") . '</li>' . EOL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/view/admin_site.tpl b/view/admin_site.tpl
index 6564565f7e..ceba97d3f1 100644
--- a/view/admin_site.tpl
+++ b/view/admin_site.tpl
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$dfrn_only }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_input.tpl with $field=$global_directory }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$thread_allow }}{{ endinc }}
-	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_public }}{{ endinc }}
+	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_private }}{{ endinc }}
 	
 	<div class="submit"><input type="submit" name="page_site" value="$submit" /></div>
 	
diff --git a/view/theme/frost-mobile/admin_site.tpl b/view/theme/frost-mobile/admin_site.tpl
index 91aeda0357..087de4f7db 100644
--- a/view/theme/frost-mobile/admin_site.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frost-mobile/admin_site.tpl
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$dfrn_only }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_input.tpl with $field=$global_directory }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$thread_allow }}{{ endinc }}
-	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_public }}{{ endinc }}
+	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_private }}{{ endinc }}
 	
 	<div class="submit"><input type="submit" name="page_site" value="$submit" /></div>
 	
diff --git a/view/theme/frost/admin_site.tpl b/view/theme/frost/admin_site.tpl
index 91aeda0357..087de4f7db 100644
--- a/view/theme/frost/admin_site.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frost/admin_site.tpl
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$dfrn_only }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_input.tpl with $field=$global_directory }}{{ endinc }}
 	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$thread_allow }}{{ endinc }}
-	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_public }}{{ endinc }}
+	{{ inc field_checkbox.tpl with $field=$newuser_private }}{{ endinc }}
 	
 	<div class="submit"><input type="submit" name="page_site" value="$submit" /></div>