diff --git a/src/lib/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm b/src/lib/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
index dcc559c3e..4abfa9003 100644
--- a/src/lib/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Gitolite/Conf/Load.pm
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ sub memberships {
         }
     }
 
+    push @ret, @{ ext_grouplist($base) } if $type eq 'user' and $rc{GROUPLIST_PGM};
+
     if ( $type eq 'user' and $repo and not repo_missing($repo) ) {
         # find the roles this user has when accessing this repo and add those
         # in as groupnames he is a member of.  You need the already existing
@@ -315,8 +317,6 @@ sub memberships {
         push @ret, user_roles( $base, $repo, @ret );
     }
 
-    push @ret, @{ ext_grouplist($base) } if $type eq 'user' and $rc{GROUPLIST_PGM};
-
     @ret = @{ sort_u( \@ret ) };
     trace( 3, sort @ret );
     return @ret;