diff --git a/vcweb/core/templates/experimenter/dashboard.html b/vcweb/core/templates/experimenter/dashboard.html
index a8328375..cb83d280 100644
--- a/vcweb/core/templates/experimenter/dashboard.html
+++ b/vcweb/core/templates/experimenter/dashboard.html
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "experimenter/base.html" %}
+{% load tags %}
 {% block title %}Virtual Commons Web Experimenter Dashboard{% endblock %}
 {% block page %}
     <div class='row' id='page'>
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ <h2>Experimenter Dashboard</h2>
             </ul>
             <div class='tab-content'>
                 <div class='tab-pane' id='start'>
-                {% if not perms.core.add_experiment %}
+                {% if not request.user|has_group:"Experimenters" %}
                     <div class='alert alert-warning'>
                         Demo experimenters cannot start new experiments, try <a href='#running' data-bind='click: activateRunningExperimentsTab'> running an experiment instead</a>.
                     </div>
diff --git a/vcweb/core/templatetags/tags.py b/vcweb/core/templatetags/tags.py
index 74d2240f..a26883fa 100644
--- a/vcweb/core/templatetags/tags.py
+++ b/vcweb/core/templatetags/tags.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 from django import template
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
 
 register = template.Library()
 
@@ -30,3 +31,8 @@ def active_re(request, pattern):
         return 'active' if re.search(pattern, request.path) else 'inactive'
     return 'inactive'
 
+
+@register.filter(name='has_group')
+def has_group(user, group_name):
+    group = Group.objects.get(name=group_name)
+    return True if group in user.groups.all() else False