diff --git a/dash/orgs/models.py b/dash/orgs/models.py
index 6e7ad29..c7ec263 100644
--- a/dash/orgs/models.py
+++ b/dash/orgs/models.py
@@ -144,16 +144,19 @@ def get_org_users(self):
         return org_users.distinct()
 
     def get_user_org_group(self, user):
-        if user in self.get_org_admins():
+        if hasattr(user, "_org_group"):
+            return user._org_group
+
+        if self.administrators.filter(id=user.id).exists():
             user._org_group = Group.objects.get(name="Administrators")
-        elif user in self.get_org_editors():
+        elif self.editors.filter(id=user.id).exists():
             user._org_group = Group.objects.get(name="Editors")
-        elif user in self.get_org_viewers():
+        elif self.viewers.filter(id=user.id).exists():
             user._org_group = Group.objects.get(name="Viewers")
         else:
             user._org_group = None
 
-        return getattr(user, "_org_group", None)
+        return user._org_group
 
     def get_user(self):
         user = self.administrators.filter(is_active=True).first()
diff --git a/test_runner/tests.py b/test_runner/tests.py
index 0dcfdf0..c541c16 100644
--- a/test_runner/tests.py
+++ b/test_runner/tests.py
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 import zoneinfo
-from dash.tags.models import Tag
-from unittest.mock import Mock, patch, call
+from unittest.mock import Mock, call, patch
 
 import valkey
 from smartmin.tests import SmartminTest
 from temba_client.v2 import TembaClient
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, User
+from django.contrib.auth.models import AnonymousUser, Group, User
 from django.core import mail
 from django.core.exceptions import DisallowedHost
+from django.db import connection
 from django.db.utils import IntegrityError
 from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
+from django.test.utils import CaptureQueriesContext
 from django.urls import ResolverMatch, reverse
 from django.utils.encoding import force_str
 
@@ -25,8 +26,9 @@
 from dash.orgs.tasks import org_task
 from dash.orgs.templatetags.dashorgs import display_time, national_phone
 from dash.stories.models import Story, StoryImage
-from dash.utils import random_string
+from dash.tags.models import Tag
 from dash.test import MockResponse
+from dash.utils import random_string
 
 
 class UserTest(SmartminTest):
@@ -412,6 +414,41 @@ def setUp(self):
 
         self.org = self.create_org("uganda", self.admin)
 
+    def test_get_user_org_group_queries(self):
+        viewer = self.create_user("Viewer")
+        editor = self.create_user("Editor")
+        non_member = self.create_user("NonMember")
+        self.org.viewers.add(viewer)
+        self.org.editors.add(editor)
+
+        self.assertIsNone(self.org.get_user_org_group(AnonymousUser()))
+
+        def assert_membership_queries(user, group_name):
+            with CaptureQueriesContext(connection) as context:
+                group = self.org.get_user_org_group(user)
+
+            self.assertEqual(group_name, group.name if group else None)
+
+            # ignore the query that fetches the group itself
+            membership_queries = [q["sql"] for q in context.captured_queries if '"auth_group"' not in q["sql"]]
+            self.assertTrue(membership_queries)
+
+            # membership is checked with existence queries rather than fetching entire member lists
+            for sql in membership_queries:
+                self.assertTrue(sql.startswith("SELECT 1 AS"), f"expected an existence query but got: {sql}")
+                self.assertNotIn('"auth_user"."password"', sql)
+
+        assert_membership_queries(self.admin, "Administrators")
+        assert_membership_queries(editor, "Editors")
+        assert_membership_queries(viewer, "Viewers")
+        assert_membership_queries(non_member, None)
+
+        # result is cached on the user object so repeated lookups don't hit the database
+        with self.assertNumQueries(0):
+            self.assertEqual(self.org.get_user_org_group(self.admin).name, "Administrators")
+        with self.assertNumQueries(0):
+            self.assertIsNone(self.org.get_user_org_group(non_member))
+
     def test_org_model(self):
         user = self.create_user("User")