diff --git a/mozilla_django_oidc_db/migrations/0006_alter_openidconnectconfig_default_groups.py b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/migrations/0006_alter_openidconnectconfig_default_groups.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b0b6cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/migrations/0006_alter_openidconnectconfig_default_groups.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.2.17 on 2025-01-10 15:20
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("auth", "0012_alter_user_first_name_max_length"),
+        ("mozilla_django_oidc_db", "0005_alter_openidconnectconfig_claim_mapping"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="openidconnectconfig",
+            name="default_groups",
+            field=models.ManyToManyField(
+                blank=True,
+                default=list,
+                help_text="The default groups to which every user logging in with OIDC will be assigned",
+                to="auth.group",
+                verbose_name="default groups",
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/mozilla_django_oidc_db/models.py b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/models.py
index 88ff404..c3281c2 100644
--- a/mozilla_django_oidc_db/models.py
+++ b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/models.py
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ class OpenIDConnectConfig(OpenIDConnectConfigBase):
     default_groups = models.ManyToManyField(
         Group,
         verbose_name=_("default groups"),
+        default=list,
         blank=True,
         help_text=_(
             "The default groups to which every user logging in with OIDC will be assigned"
diff --git a/mozilla_django_oidc_db/setup_configuration/models.py b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/setup_configuration/models.py
index ca4cd84..41bee05 100644
--- a/mozilla_django_oidc_db/setup_configuration/models.py
+++ b/mozilla_django_oidc_db/setup_configuration/models.py
@@ -91,9 +91,7 @@ class AdminOIDCConfigurationModelItem(ConfigurationModel):
     superuser_group_names: list[str] = DjangoModelRef(
         OpenIDConnectConfig, "superuser_group_names"
     )
-    default_groups: list[str] = DjangoModelRef(
-        OpenIDConnectConfig, "superuser_group_names"
-    )
+    default_groups: list[str] = DjangoModelRef(OpenIDConnectConfig, "default_groups")
     oidc_rp_scopes_list: list[str] = DjangoModelRef(
         OpenIDConnectConfig, "oidc_rp_scopes_list"
     )