diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/configuration/auto/MigrationTasksContextLoadedListener.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/configuration/auto/MigrationTasksContextLoadedListener.java
index 9fc942dc8..4dbe3656d 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/configuration/auto/MigrationTasksContextLoadedListener.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/configuration/auto/MigrationTasksContextLoadedListener.java
@@ -66,17 +66,5 @@ void doshibui_1740_migration() {
                 userService.save(user); // this will ensure group is set as the default user group
             }
         });
-
-        // SHIBUI-1743: Adding regex expression to groups
-        groupService.findAll().forEach(g -> {
-            g.setValidationRegex(Group.DEFAULT_REGEX);
-            try {
-                groupService.updateGroup(g);
-            }
-            catch (Exception e) {
-                // Shouldn't happen
-                e.printStackTrace();
-            }
-        });
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Group.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Group.java
index f90423b66..c0d579c30 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Group.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Group.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class Group implements Owner {
     private String resourceId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
 
     @Column(name = "validation_regex")
-    private String validationRegex = DEFAULT_REGEX;
+    private String validationRegex;
 
     /**
      * Define a Group object based on the user
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ public Group(User user) {
         resourceId = user.getUsername();
         name = user.getUsername();
         description = "default user-group";
-        validationRegex = DEFAULT_REGEX;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceImpl.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceImpl.java
index 8eed21f7f..cb36b21f3 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceImpl.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceImpl.java
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ public boolean doesStringMatchGroupPattern(String groupId, String uri) {
         Group group = find(groupId);
 
         String regExp = group.getValidationRegex();
+        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(regExp)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
         engine.put("str", uri);
         try {
             engine.eval("var rgx=" + regExp);
@@ -123,11 +127,10 @@ public Group updateGroup(Group group) throws EntityNotFoundException, InvalidGro
     }
 
     /**
-     * If the regex is missing, go with the default "anything goes" regex, otherwise validate that the pattern is valid to use.
+     * If the regex is blank simply return
      */
     private void validateGroupRegex(Group group) throws InvalidGroupRegexException {
         if (StringUtils.isEmpty(group.getValidationRegex())) {
-            group.setValidationRegex(Group.DEFAULT_REGEX);
             return;
         }
         try {
diff --git a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/controller/UsersControllerIntegrationTests.groovy b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/controller/UsersControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
index fbd232620..0965b0891 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/controller/UsersControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
+++ b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/controller/UsersControllerIntegrationTests.groovy
@@ -141,12 +141,12 @@ class UsersControllerIntegrationTests extends AbstractBaseDataJpaTest {
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[1].emailAddress").value("peter@institution.edu"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[1].role").value("ROLE_USER"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[1].groupId").value("nonadmin"))
-              .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[1].userGroups.[0].validationRegex").value(Group.DEFAULT_REGEX))
+              .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[1].userGroups.[0].validationRegex").value(null))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].username").value("none"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].emailAddress").value("badboy@institution.edu"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].role").value("ROLE_NONE"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].groupId").value("none"))
-              .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].userGroups.[0].validationRegex").value(Group.DEFAULT_REGEX))
+              .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[2].userGroups.[0].validationRegex").value(null))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[3].username").value("anonymousUser"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[3].emailAddress").value("anon@institution.edu"))
               .andExpect(jsonPath("\$.[3].role").value("ROLE_ADMIN"))
diff --git a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceTests.groovy b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceTests.groovy
index e71fdeb17..619a4e567 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceTests.groovy
+++ b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/service/GroupServiceTests.groovy
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class GroupServiceTests extends AbstractBaseDataJpaTest {
         }
 
         then:
-        g.getValidationRegex() == Group.DEFAULT_REGEX
+        g.getValidationRegex() == null
 
         when:
         g.setValidationRegex("/\\w\\b\\w/")