diff --git a/administrator/components/com_users/models/user.php b/administrator/components/com_users/models/user.php
index e2d6e198f8a23..76e6c8974a273 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_users/models/user.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_users/models/user.php
@@ -938,9 +938,9 @@ public function getAssignedGroups($userId = null)
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$config = JComponentHelper::getParams('com_users');
+				$params = JComponentHelper::getParams('com_users');
 
-				if ($groupId = $config->get('new_usertype'))
+				if ($groupId = $params->get('new_usertype', $params->get('guest_usergroup', 1)))
 				{
 					$result[] = $groupId;
 				}
diff --git a/components/com_users/models/registration.php b/components/com_users/models/registration.php
index 02dfd63b4f944..525b5a917ee9d 100644
--- a/components/com_users/models/registration.php
+++ b/components/com_users/models/registration.php
@@ -278,8 +278,8 @@ public function getData()
 			// Get the groups the user should be added to after registration.
 			$this->data->groups = array();
 
-			// Get the default new user group, Registered if not specified.
-			$system = $params->get('new_usertype', 2);
+			// Get the default new user group, guest or public group if not specified.
+			$system = $params->get('new_usertype', $params->get('guest_usergroup', 1));
 
 			$this->data->groups[] = $system;
 
diff --git a/plugins/user/joomla/joomla.php b/plugins/user/joomla/joomla.php
index a7041ed61b91a..218c8fb8d3a07 100644
--- a/plugins/user/joomla/joomla.php
+++ b/plugins/user/joomla/joomla.php
@@ -367,10 +367,10 @@ protected function _getUser($user, $options = array())
 		}
 
 		// TODO : move this out of the plugin
-		$config = ComponentHelper::getParams('com_users');
+		$params = ComponentHelper::getParams('com_users');
 
-		// Hard coded default to match the default value from com_users.
-		$defaultUserGroup = $config->get('new_usertype', 2);
+		// Read the default user group option from com_users
+		$defaultUserGroup = $params->get('new_usertype', $params->get('guest_usergroup', 1));
 
 		$instance->id = 0;
 		$instance->name = $user['fullname'];