diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
index b57e517dd..8ea41ed1a 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/service/JPAEntityDescriptorServiceImpl.java
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ public EntityDescriptorRepresentation createNew(EntityDescriptorRepresentation e
 
         EntityDescriptor ed = (EntityDescriptor) createDescriptorFromRepresentation(edRep);
         ed.setIdOfOwner(userService.getCurrentUserGroup().getOwnerId());
-        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin()) {
+        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin() || userService.getCurrentUserGroup().getApproversList().isEmpty()) {
             ed.setApproved(true);
         }
 
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ public EntityDescriptorRepresentation createNewEntityDescriptorFromXMLOrigin(Ent
         if (ed.getProtocol() == EntityDescriptorProtocol.OIDC) {
             ed.getSPSSODescriptor("").addSupportedProtocol("http://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1_0.html");
         }
-        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin()) {
+        if (userService.currentUserIsAdmin() || userService.getCurrentUserGroup().getApproversList().isEmpty()) {
             ed.setApproved(true);
         }
         EntityDescriptor savedEntity = entityDescriptorRepository.save(ed);