diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Approvers.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Approvers.java
index 9d51e403d..811e4ffc6 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Approvers.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/model/Approvers.java
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@
 import javax.persistence.Entity;
 import javax.persistence.Id;
 import javax.persistence.ManyToMany;
+import javax.persistence.OneToMany;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
@@ -19,6 +22,6 @@ public class Approvers {
     @Column(name = "resource_id")
     private String resourceId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
 
-    @ManyToMany
-    private Set<Group> approverGroups = new HashSet<>();
+    @OneToMany
+    private List<Group> approverGroups = new ArrayList<>();
 }
\ 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 ffba5ac0f..904f3abc5 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
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class Group implements Owner {
     private String validationRegex;
 
     @OneToMany
-    private List<Approvers> approvalGroups = new ArrayList<>();
+    private List<Approvers> approversList = new ArrayList<>();
 
     /**
      * Define a Group object based on the user
@@ -86,4 +86,14 @@ public Set<Ownership> getOwnedItems() {
         }
         return ownedItems;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return resourceId.hashCode();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object o) {
+        return o instanceof Group && this.resourceId.equals(((Group)o).resourceId);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/repository/ApproversRepository.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/repository/ApproversRepository.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d7d20cef4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/security/repository/ApproversRepository.java
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.repository;
+
+import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.model.Approvers;
+import org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.JpaRepository;
+
+public interface ApproversRepository extends JpaRepository<Approvers, String> {
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/AbstractBaseDataJpaTest.groovy b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/AbstractBaseDataJpaTest.groovy
index da12d8bc2..85859855c 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/AbstractBaseDataJpaTest.groovy
+++ b/backend/src/test/groovy/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/AbstractBaseDataJpaTest.groovy
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.model.Role
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.model.User
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.model.listener.GroupUpdatedEntityListener
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.model.listener.UserUpdatedEntityListener
+import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.repository.ApproversRepository
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.repository.GroupsRepository
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.repository.OwnershipRepository
 import edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui.security.repository.RoleRepository
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ import javax.persistence.EntityManager
 @EnableJpaRepositories(basePackages = ["edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui"])
 @EntityScan("edu.internet2.tier.shibboleth.admin.ui")
 abstract class AbstractBaseDataJpaTest extends Specification implements ResetsDatabaseTrait {
+    @Autowired
+    ApproversRepository approversRepository
+
     @Autowired
     EntityManager entityManager
 
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 43aed5f75..608e8065a 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
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class GroupServiceTests extends AbstractBaseDataJpaTest {
     def "CRUD operations - approver groups" () {
         given:
         groupService.clearAllForTesting();
-        HashSet<Group> apprGroups = new HashSet<>()
+        List<Group> apprGroups = new ArrayList<>()
         String[] groupNames = ['AAA', 'BBB', 'CCC', 'DDD']
         groupNames.each {name -> {
             Group group = new Group().with({
@@ -94,24 +94,38 @@ class GroupServiceTests extends AbstractBaseDataJpaTest {
                 it.resourceId = name
                 it
             })
-            group = groupRepository.saveAndFlush(group)
+            group = groupRepository.save(group)
+        }}
+        entityManager.flush()
+        entityManager.clear()
+
+        groupNames.each {name ->{
             if (!name.equals('AAA')) {
-                apprGroups.add(group)
+                apprGroups.add(groupRepository.findByResourceId(name))
             }
         }}
 
         when: "Adding approval list to a group"
         Approvers approvers = new Approvers()
         approvers.setApproverGroups(apprGroups)
+        approvers = approversRepository.save(approvers)
+        entityManager.flush()
+        entityManager.clear()
+
         List<Approvers> apprList = new ArrayList<>()
         apprList.add(approvers)
         Group aaaGroup = groupService.find('AAA')
-        aaaGroup.setApprovalGroups(apprList)
+        aaaGroup.setApproversList(apprList)
         groupService.updateGroup(aaaGroup)
         Group lookupGroup = groupService.find('AAA')
 
         then:
-        lookupGroup.getApprovalGroups().size() == 1
+        lookupGroup.getApproversList().size() == 1
+        List<Group> approvalGroups = lookupGroup.getApproversList().get(0).getApproverGroups()
+        approvalGroups.size() == 3
+        apprGroups.each {group -> {
+            assert approvalGroups.contains(group)}
+        }
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file