diff --git a/ckan/logic/action/create.py b/ckan/logic/action/create.py
index edef0a95f30..5e1e2a477e0 100644
--- a/ckan/logic/action/create.py
+++ b/ckan/logic/action/create.py
@@ -843,19 +843,25 @@ def user_create(context, data_dict):
 def user_invite(context, data_dict):
     '''Invite a new user.
 
-    You must be authorized to invite users.
+    You must be authorized to create organization members.
 
-    :param email: the email address for the new user
+    :param email: the email of the user to be invited to the organization
     :type email: string
+    :param organization_id: the id or name of the organization
+    :type organization_id: string
+    :param role: role of the user in the group. One of ``member``, ``editor``,
+        or ``admin``
+    :type role: string
 
     :returns: the newly created yser
     :rtype: dictionary
-
     '''
     _check_access('user_invite', context, data_dict)
 
     user_invite_schema = {
-        'email': [validators.not_empty, unicode]
+        'email': [validators.not_empty, unicode],
+        'organization_id': [validators.not_empty],
+        'role': [validators.not_empty],
     }
     _, errors = _validate(data_dict, user_invite_schema, context)
     if errors:
@@ -870,6 +876,12 @@ def user_invite(context, data_dict):
             data_dict['state'] = ckan.model.State.PENDING
             user_dict = _get_action('user_create')(context, data_dict)
             user = ckan.model.User.get(user_dict['id'])
+            member_dict = {
+                'username': user.id,
+                'id': data_dict['organization_id'],
+                'role': data_dict['role']
+            }
+            _get_action('organization_member_create')(context, member_dict)
             mailer.send_invite(user)
             return model_dictize.user_dictize(user, context)
         except ValidationError as e:
@@ -1187,7 +1199,7 @@ def _group_or_org_member_create(context, data_dict, is_org=False):
     role = data_dict.get('role')
     group_id = data_dict.get('id')
     group = model.Group.get(group_id)
-    result = session.query(model.User).filter_by(name=username).first()
+    result = model.User.get(username)
     if result:
         user_id = result.id
     else:
diff --git a/ckan/logic/auth/create.py b/ckan/logic/auth/create.py
index fafbc5a2e4c..55ec2d7df6f 100644
--- a/ckan/logic/auth/create.py
+++ b/ckan/logic/auth/create.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ def user_create(context, data_dict=None):
         return {'success': True}
 
 def user_invite(context, data_dict=None):
-    return {'success': False}
+    return organization_member_create(context, data_dict)
 
 def _check_group_auth(context, data_dict):
     # FIXME This code is shared amoung other logic.auth files and should be
diff --git a/ckan/model/user.py b/ckan/model/user.py
index a6d6c44b612..4f87175edf4 100644
--- a/ckan/model/user.py
+++ b/ckan/model/user.py
@@ -181,20 +181,21 @@ def is_deleted(self):
     def is_pending(self):
         return self.state == core.State.PENDING
 
-    def is_in_group(self, group):
-        return group in self.get_group_ids()
+    def is_in_group(self, group_id):
+        return group_id in self.get_group_ids()
 
-    def is_in_groups(self, groupids):
+    def is_in_groups(self, group_ids):
         ''' Given a list of group ids, returns True if this user is in
         any of those groups '''
         guser = set(self.get_group_ids())
-        gids = set(groupids)
+        gids = set(group_ids)
 
         return len(guser.intersection(gids)) > 0
 
-    def get_group_ids(self, group_type=None):
+    def get_group_ids(self, group_type=None, capacity=None):
         ''' Returns a list of group ids that the current user belongs to '''
-        return [g.id for g in self.get_groups(group_type=group_type)]
+        return [g.id for g in
+                self.get_groups(group_type=group_type, capacity=capacity)]
 
     def get_groups(self, group_type=None, capacity=None):
         import ckan.model as model
diff --git a/ckan/tests/lib/test_mailer.py b/ckan/tests/lib/test_mailer.py
index 22b3985930b..83a35c3b92c 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/lib/test_mailer.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/lib/test_mailer.py
@@ -114,8 +114,10 @@ def test_send_reset_email(self):
         # reset link tested in user functional test
 
     def test_send_invite_email(self):
+        user = model.User.by_name(u'bob')
+        assert user.reset_key is None, user
         # send email
-        mailer.send_invite(model.User.by_name(u'bob'))
+        mailer.send_invite(user)
 
         # check it went to the mock smtp server
         msgs = self.get_smtp_messages()
@@ -127,5 +129,6 @@ def test_send_invite_email(self):
         expected_body = self.mime_encode(test_msg,
                                          u'bob') 
         assert expected_body in msg[3], '%r not in %r' % (expected_body, msg[3])
+        assert user.reset_key is not None, user
         
         # reset link tested in user functional test
diff --git a/ckan/tests/logic/test_action.py b/ckan/tests/logic/test_action.py
index b6361803f0e..f2ef0df9f7d 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/logic/test_action.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/logic/test_action.py
@@ -562,12 +562,18 @@ def test_12_user_update_errors(self):
             for expected_message in test_call['messages']:
                 assert expected_message[1] in ''.join(res_obj['error'][expected_message[0]])
 
-    @mock.patch('ckan.lib.mailer.mail_user')
-    def test_user_invite(self, mail_user):
+    @mock.patch('ckan.lib.mailer.send_invite')
+    def test_user_invite(self, send_invite):
         email_username = 'invited_user$ckan'
         email = '%s@email.com' % email_username
-        user_dict = {'email': email}
-        postparams = '%s=1' % json.dumps(user_dict)
+        organization_name = 'an_organization'
+        CreateTestData.create_groups([{'name': organization_name}])
+        role = 'member'
+        organization = model.Group.get(organization_name)
+        params = {'email': email,
+                  'organization_id': organization.id,
+                  'role': role}
+        postparams = '%s=1' % json.dumps(params)
         extra_environ = {'Authorization': str(self.sysadmin_user.apikey)}
 
         res = self.app.post('/api/action/user_invite', params=postparams,
@@ -575,27 +581,14 @@ def test_user_invite(self, mail_user):
 
         res_obj = json.loads(res.body)
         user = model.User.get(res_obj['result']['id'])
-        expected_username = email_username.replace('$', '-')
         assert res_obj['success'] is True, res_obj
         assert user.email == email, (user.email, email)
-        assert user.name.startswith(expected_username), (user.name, expected_username)
         assert user.is_pending(), user
-        assert user.reset_key is not None, user
-
-    @mock.patch('ckan.lib.mailer.send_invite')
-    def test_user_invite_sends_email(self, send_invite):
-        email_username = 'invited_user'
-        email = '%s@email.com' % email_username
-        user_dict = {'email': email}
-        postparams = '%s=1' % json.dumps(user_dict)
-        extra_environ = {'Authorization': str(self.sysadmin_user.apikey)}
-
-        res = self.app.post('/api/action/user_invite', params=postparams,
-                            extra_environ=extra_environ)
-
-        res_obj = json.loads(res.body)
-        user = model.User.get(res_obj['result']['id'])
-        assert res_obj['success'] is True, res_obj
+        expected_username = email_username.replace('$', '-')
+        assert user.name.startswith(expected_username), (user.name,
+                                                         expected_username)
+        group_ids = user.get_group_ids(capacity=role)
+        assert organization.id in group_ids, (group_ids, organization.id)
         assert send_invite.called
         assert send_invite.call_args[0][0].id == res_obj['result']['id']
 
@@ -618,8 +611,14 @@ def test_user_invite_should_work_even_if_tried_username_already_exists(self, ran
         patcher = mock.patch('ckan.lib.mailer.mail_user')
         patcher.start()
         email = 'invited_user@email.com'
-        user_dict = {'email': email}
-        postparams = '%s=1' % json.dumps(user_dict)
+        organization_name = 'an_organization'
+        CreateTestData.create_groups([{'name': organization_name}])
+        role = 'member'
+        organization = model.Group.get(organization_name)
+        params = {'email': email,
+                  'organization_id': organization.id,
+                  'role': role}
+        postparams = '%s=1' % json.dumps(params)
         extra_environ = {'Authorization': str(self.sysadmin_user.apikey)}
 
         usernames = ['first', 'first', 'second']
diff --git a/ckan/tests/logic/test_auth.py b/ckan/tests/logic/test_auth.py
index 13e7b38f2a5..9ae69f32081 100644
--- a/ckan/tests/logic/test_auth.py
+++ b/ckan/tests/logic/test_auth.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import mock
+
 import ckan.tests as tests
 from ckan.logic import get_action
 import ckan.model as model
@@ -49,11 +51,10 @@ def create_user(self, name):
 
 
 class TestAuthUsers(TestAuth):
-    def test_only_sysadmins_can_invite_users(self):
-        username = 'normal_user'
-        self.create_user(username)
-
-        assert not new_authz.is_authorized_boolean('user_invite', {'user': username})
+    @mock.patch('ckan.logic.auth.create.organization_member_create')
+    def test_invite_user_delegates_to_organization_member_create(self, organization_member_create):
+        new_authz.is_authorized_boolean('user_invite', {})
+        organization_member_create.assert_called()
 
     def test_only_sysadmins_can_delete_users(self):
         username = 'username'