diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/groups/GroupsDialog.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/groups/GroupsDialog.java
index 5048632eee..3e4f22fd94 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/groups/GroupsDialog.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/groups/GroupsDialog.java
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ import javax.faces.event.ActionEvent;
 import javax.transaction.UserTransaction;
 
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
+import org.alfresco.query.PagingRequest;
+import org.alfresco.query.PagingResults;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthorityService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthorityType;
@@ -448,8 +450,23 @@ public class GroupsDialog extends BaseDialogBean
       }
       else
       {
-         boolean immediate = (this.filterMode.equals(FILTER_CHILDREN));
-         Set<String> authorities = this.authService.findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, this.group, immediate, search, AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
+         List<String> authorities;
+         
+         if (search != null && search.startsWith("*"))
+         {
+            // if the search term starts with a wildcard use Lucene based search to find groups (results will be inconsistent)
+            boolean immediate = (this.filterMode.equals(FILTER_CHILDREN));
+            Set<String> results = this.authService.findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, this.group, immediate, search, AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
+            authorities = new ArrayList<String>(results);
+         }
+         else
+         {
+            // all other searches use the canned query so search results are consistent
+            PagingResults<String> pagedResults = this.authService.getAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, 
+                        AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT, search, true, true, new PagingRequest(10000));
+            authorities = pagedResults.getPage();
+         }
+         
          groups = new ArrayList<Map<String,String>>(authorities.size());
          for (String authority : authorities)
          {
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/users/MailInviteSpaceUsersWizard.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/users/MailInviteSpaceUsersWizard.java
index 581ea054d7..b0ce5b3a62 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/users/MailInviteSpaceUsersWizard.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/users/MailInviteSpaceUsersWizard.java
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ package org.alfresco.web.bean.users;
 
 import java.util.Set;
 
-import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthorityService;
-import org.alfresco.service.cmr.security.AuthorityType;
 import org.alfresco.web.bean.spaces.InviteSpaceUsersWizard;
 
 /**
@@ -30,14 +28,12 @@ import org.alfresco.web.bean.spaces.InviteSpaceUsersWizard;
  */
 public class MailInviteSpaceUsersWizard extends InviteSpaceUsersWizard
 {
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -68947308160920434L;
+
     @Override
     protected Set<String> getGroups(String search)
     {
-        // groups - text search match on supplied name
-        String term = "*" + search + "*";
-        Set<String> groups;
-        groups = getAuthorityService().findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, null, false, term,
-                AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
-        return groups;
+        // get the groups without the EVERYONE group
+        return super.getGroups(search, false);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wcm/SetPermissionsDialog.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wcm/SetPermissionsDialog.java
index 6476bae933..2f4510cc56 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wcm/SetPermissionsDialog.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wcm/SetPermissionsDialog.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ import javax.transaction.UserTransaction;
 
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
 import org.alfresco.query.PagingRequest;
+import org.alfresco.query.PagingResults;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.AVMNodeConverter;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.avm.AVMNodeDescriptor;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
@@ -276,10 +278,24 @@ public class SetPermissionsDialog extends UpdatePermissionsDialog
             }
             else
             {
-                // groups - text search match on supplied name
-                String term = "*" + contains.trim() + "*";
                 Set<String> groups;
-                groups = getAuthorityService().findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, null, false, term, AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
+                
+                if (contains != null && contains.startsWith("*"))
+                {
+                   // if the search term starts with a wildcard use Lucene based search to find groups (results will be inconsistent)
+                   String term = contains.trim() + "*";
+                   groups = getAuthorityService().findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, null, false, term,
+                               AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                   // all other searches use the canned query so search results are consistent
+                   PagingResults<String> pagedResults = getAuthorityService().getAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, 
+                               AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT, contains, true, true, new PagingRequest(10000));
+                   groups = new LinkedHashSet<String>(pagedResults.getPage());
+                }
+                
+                // add the EVERYONE group to the results
                 groups.addAll(getAuthorityService().getAllAuthorities(AuthorityType.EVERYONE));
 
                 String groupDisplayName;
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/BaseInviteUsersWizard.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/BaseInviteUsersWizard.java
index 45e237f16d..b1c1712fe1 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/BaseInviteUsersWizard.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/wizard/BaseInviteUsersWizard.java
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.TreeSet;
 
 import javax.faces.component.UISelectOne;
 import javax.faces.context.FacesContext;
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ import javax.transaction.UserTransaction;
 
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
 import org.alfresco.query.PagingRequest;
+import org.alfresco.query.PagingResults;
 import org.alfresco.repo.security.permissions.AccessDeniedException;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.DictionaryService;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.repository.NodeRef;
@@ -548,13 +551,35 @@ public abstract class BaseInviteUsersWizard extends BaseWizardBean
    
    protected Set<String> getGroups(String search)
    {
-       // groups - text search match on supplied name
-       String term = "*" + search + "*";
-       Set<String> groups;
-       groups = getAuthorityService().findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, null, false, term,
-                AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
-       groups.addAll(getAuthorityService().getAllAuthorities(AuthorityType.EVERYONE));
-       return groups;
+      return getGroups(search, true);
+   }
+   
+   protected Set<String> getGroups(String search, boolean includeEveryone)
+   {
+      Set<String> groups;
+      
+      if (search != null && search.startsWith("*"))
+      {
+         // if the search term starts with a wildcard use Lucene based search to find groups (results will be inconsistent)
+         String term = search.trim() + "*";
+         groups = getAuthorityService().findAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, null, false, term,
+                     AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT);
+      }
+      else
+      {
+         // all other searches use the canned query so search results are consistent
+         PagingResults<String> pagedResults = getAuthorityService().getAuthorities(AuthorityType.GROUP, 
+                     AuthorityService.ZONE_APP_DEFAULT, search, true, true, new PagingRequest(10000));
+         groups = new LinkedHashSet<String>(pagedResults.getPage());
+      }
+      
+      if (includeEveryone)
+      {
+          // add the EVERYONE group to the results
+          groups.addAll(getAuthorityService().getAllAuthorities(AuthorityType.EVERYONE));
+      }
+      
+      return groups;
    }
    
    /**