diff --git a/actions/apigroupjoin.php b/actions/apigroupjoin.php
index 345fed2215..2e35cb87de 100644
--- a/actions/apigroupjoin.php
+++ b/actions/apigroupjoin.php
@@ -125,26 +125,17 @@ class ApiGroupJoinAction extends ApiAuthAction
             return;
         }
 
-        $member = new Group_member();
-
-        $member->group_id   = $this->group->id;
-        $member->profile_id = $this->user->id;
-        $member->created    = common_sql_now();
-
-        $result = $member->insert();
-
-        if (!$result) {
-            common_log_db_error($member, 'INSERT', __FILE__);
-            $this->serverError(
-                sprintf(
-                    // TRANS: Server error displayed when joining a group fails.
-                    // TRANS: %1$s is a user nickname, $2$s is a group nickname.
-                    _('Could not join user %1$s to group %2$s.'),
-                    $this->user->nickname,
-                    $this->group->nickname
-                )
-            );
-            return;
+        try {
+            if (Event::handle('StartJoinGroup', array($this->group, $this->user))) {
+                Group_member::join($this->group->id, $this->user->id);
+                Event::handle('EndJoinGroup', array($this->group, $this->user));
+            }
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            // TRANS: Server error displayed when joining a group failed in the database.
+            // TRANS: %1$s is the joining user's nickname, $2$s is the group nickname for which the join failed.
+            $this->serverError(sprintf(_('Could not join user %1$s to group %2$s.'),
+                                       $cur->nickname, $this->group->nickname));
+			return;
         }
 
         switch($this->format) {
diff --git a/actions/apigroupleave.php b/actions/apigroupleave.php
index 0ceb3523c8..083ebd890f 100644
--- a/actions/apigroupleave.php
+++ b/actions/apigroupleave.php
@@ -116,22 +116,18 @@ class ApiGroupLeaveAction extends ApiAuthAction
             return;
         }
 
-        $result = $member->delete();
-
-        if (!$result) {
-            common_log_db_error($member, 'DELETE', __FILE__);
-            $this->serverError(
-                sprintf(
-                    // TRANS: Server error displayed when leaving a group fails.
-                    // TRANS: %1$s is a user nickname, $2$s is a group nickname.
-                    _('Could not remove user %1$s from group %2$s.'),
-                    $this->user->nickname,
-                    $this->group->nickname
-                )
-            );
+        try {
+            if (Event::handle('StartLeaveGroup', array($this->group,$this->user))) {
+                Group_member::leave($this->group->id, $this->user->id);
+                Event::handle('EndLeaveGroup', array($this->group, $this->user));
+            }
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            // TRANS: Server error displayed when leaving a group failed in the database.
+            // TRANS: %1$s is the leaving user's nickname, $2$s is the group nickname for which the leave failed.
+            $this->serverError(sprintf(_('Could not remove user %1$s from group %2$s.'),
+                                       $cur->nickname, $this->group->nickname));
             return;
         }
-
         switch($this->format) {
         case 'xml':
             $this->showSingleXmlGroup($this->group);
diff --git a/actions/joingroup.php b/actions/joingroup.php
index 7beaf4f64a..4c45ca8b9d 100644
--- a/actions/joingroup.php
+++ b/actions/joingroup.php
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ class JoingroupAction extends Action
             // TRANS: %1$s is the joining user's nickname, $2$s is the group nickname for which the join failed.
             $this->serverError(sprintf(_('Could not join user %1$s to group %2$s.'),
                                        $cur->nickname, $this->group->nickname));
+            return;
         }
 
         if ($this->boolean('ajax')) {