diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
index 502cd5594b..69f0fd64ea 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
@@ -222,9 +222,12 @@ export class DatabaseImpl implements Database {
   }
 
   async getMultiple<T extends Document>(
-    ids: string[],
+    ids?: string[],
     opts?: { allowMissing?: boolean; excludeDocs?: boolean }
   ): Promise<T[]> {
+    if (!ids || ids.length === 0) {
+      return []
+    }
     // get unique
     ids = [...new Set(ids)]
     const includeDocs = !opts?.excludeDocs
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/users/utils.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/users/utils.ts
index 7c8cbb083a..01d8a0bdca 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/users/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/users/utils.ts
@@ -16,30 +16,26 @@ export const hasAdminPermissions = sdk.users.hasAdminPermissions
 export const hasBuilderPermissions = sdk.users.hasBuilderPermissions
 export const hasAppBuilderPermissions = sdk.users.hasAppBuilderPermissions
 
-async function getGroups(groupIds?: string[]) {
-  if (groupIds?.length) {
-    const db = context.getGlobalDB()
-    return await db.getMultiple<UserGroup>(groupIds, { allowMissing: true })
-  }
-  return []
-}
-
 export async function creatorsInList(
   users: (User | ContextUser)[],
   groups?: UserGroup[]
 ) {
-  if (!groups) {
-    const groupIds = users.flatMap(user => user.userGroups || [])
-    if (groupIds.length) {
-      groups = await getGroups(groupIds)
-    }
+  const groupIds = [
+    ...new Set(
+      users.filter(user => user.userGroups).flatMap(user => user.userGroups!)
+    ),
+  ]
+  if (groupIds.length) {
+    const db = context.getGlobalDB()
+    groups = await db.getMultiple<UserGroup>(groupIds)
   }
   return users.map(user => isCreatorSync(user, groups))
 }
 
 // fetches groups if no provided, but is async and shouldn't be looped with
 export async function isCreatorAsync(user: User | ContextUser) {
-  const groups = await getGroups(user.userGroups)
+  const db = context.getGlobalDB()
+  const groups = await db.getMultiple<UserGroup>(user.userGroups)
   return isCreatorSync(user, groups)
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/types/src/sdk/db.ts b/packages/types/src/sdk/db.ts
index eb922bd81e..9f99266644 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/sdk/db.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/sdk/db.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export interface Database {
   get<T extends Document>(id?: string): Promise<T>
   tryGet<T extends Document>(id?: string): Promise<T | undefined>
   getMultiple<T extends Document>(
-    ids: string[],
+    ids?: string[],
     opts?: { allowMissing?: boolean; excludeDocs?: boolean }
   ): Promise<T[]>
   remove(idOrDoc: Document): Promise<Nano.DocumentDestroyResponse>