diff --git a/packaging/tests/tas-restapi/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/groups/GroupsTests.java b/packaging/tests/tas-restapi/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/groups/GroupsTests.java
index 75cecb45ff..f01f4d622d 100644
--- a/packaging/tests/tas-restapi/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/groups/GroupsTests.java
+++ b/packaging/tests/tas-restapi/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/groups/GroupsTests.java
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ public class GroupsTests extends RestTest
     @Test(groups = { TestGroup.REST_API, TestGroup.GROUPS, TestGroup.SANITY })
     @TestRail(section = { TestGroup.REST_API, TestGroup.NODES }, executionType = ExecutionType.SANITY,
             description = "Verify creation, listing, updating and deletion of groups.")
-    public void createListUpdateAndDeleteGroup() {
+    public void createListUpdateAndDeleteGroup()
+    {
         String groupName = "ZtestGroup" + UUID.randomUUID();
         String subGroupName = "ZtestSubgroup" + UUID.randomUUID();
         String groupDescription = "ZtestGroup description" + UUID.randomUUID();
@@ -111,7 +112,8 @@ public class GroupsTests extends RestTest
     @Test(groups = { TestGroup.REST_API, TestGroup.GROUPS, TestGroup.SANITY })
     @TestRail(section = { TestGroup.REST_API, TestGroup.NODES }, executionType = ExecutionType.SANITY,
             description = "Verify creation, listing(only for person) and deletion of group memberships. ")
-    public void createListDeleteGroupMembership() {
+    public void createListDeleteGroupMembership()
+    {
         String groupName = "ZtestGroup" + UUID.randomUUID();
         JsonObject groupBody = Json.createObjectBuilder().add("id", groupName).add("displayName", groupName).build();
         String groupBodyCreate = groupBody.toString();
diff --git a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
index 464d4ff525..6cc4631df0 100644
--- a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
+++ b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/GroupsImpl.java
@@ -379,11 +379,13 @@ public class GroupsImpl implements Groups
         String displayNameFilter = groupsFilter.getDisplayNameFilter();
         PagingResults<AuthorityInfo> pagingResult;
 
-        if (isRootParam != null || displayNameFilter != null)
+        // Don't use canned queries when fetching authorities with description
+        // if better performance is requested for loading descriptions we can add canned queries in the future
+        if (isRootParam != null || displayNameFilter != null || includeDescription)
         {
             List<AuthorityInfo> groupList;
 
-            if (isRootParam != null && isRootParam)
+            if ((isRootParam != null && isRootParam) || includeDescription)
             {
                 // Limit the post processing work by using the already loaded
                 // list of root authorities.
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityDAOImpl.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityDAOImpl.java
index 6db71ea26b..14b69a50d0 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityDAOImpl.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/authority/AuthorityDAOImpl.java
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ public class AuthorityDAOImpl implements AuthorityDAO, NodeServicePolicies.Befor
         props.put(ContentModel.PROP_NAME, DigestUtils.md5Hex(name));
         props.put(ContentModel.PROP_AUTHORITY_NAME, name);
         props.put(ContentModel.PROP_AUTHORITY_DISPLAY_NAME, authorityDisplayName);
-        if (MapUtils.isNotEmpty(properties))
+        if (properties != null)
         {
             props.putAll(properties);
         }
@@ -1452,9 +1452,9 @@ public class AuthorityDAOImpl implements AuthorityDAO, NodeServicePolicies.Befor
         {
             return Pair.nullPair();
         }
-        Serializable displayName = nodeService.getProperty(ref, ContentModel.PROP_AUTHORITY_DISPLAY_NAME);
+        String displayName = getAuthorityDisplayName(authorityName);
         Serializable description = nodeService.getProperty(ref, ContentModel.PROP_DESCRIPTION);
-        return new Pair<>(DefaultTypeConverter.INSTANCE.convert(String.class, displayName), DefaultTypeConverter.INSTANCE.convert(String.class, description));
+        return new Pair<>(displayName, DefaultTypeConverter.INSTANCE.convert(String.class, description));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -1465,8 +1465,10 @@ public class AuthorityDAOImpl implements AuthorityDAO, NodeServicePolicies.Befor
         {
             return;
         }
-        nodeService.setProperty(ref, ContentModel.PROP_AUTHORITY_DISPLAY_NAME, authorityDisplayName);
-        nodeService.setProperty(ref, ContentModel.PROP_DESCRIPTION, description);
+        Map<QName, Serializable> properties = new HashMap<>();
+        properties.put(ContentModel.PROP_AUTHORITY_DISPLAY_NAME, authorityDisplayName);
+        properties.put(ContentModel.PROP_DESCRIPTION, description);
+        nodeService.setProperties(ref, properties);
     }
 
     public NodeRef getOrCreateZone(String zoneName)