diff --git a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnector.cs b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnector.cs
index 67402a2214..1425a23c39 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnector.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnector.cs
@@ -44,15 +44,17 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
         private static readonly ILog m_log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
 
         private string m_ServerURI;
+        private string m_SecretKey;
         private object m_Lock = new object();
 
-        public GroupsServiceRemoteConnector(string url)
+        public GroupsServiceRemoteConnector(string url, string secret)
         {
             m_ServerURI = url;
             if (!m_ServerURI.EndsWith("/"))
                 m_ServerURI += "/";
 
-            m_log.DebugFormat("[Groups.RemoteConnector]: Groups server at {0}", m_ServerURI);
+            m_SecretKey = secret;
+            m_log.DebugFormat("[Groups.RemoteConnector]: Groups server at {0}, secret key {1}", m_ServerURI, m_SecretKey);
         }
 
         public ExtendedGroupRecord CreateGroup(string RequestingAgentID, string name, string charter, bool showInList, UUID insigniaID, int membershipFee, bool openEnrollment,
@@ -654,6 +656,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
         private Dictionary<string, object> MakeRequest(string method, Dictionary<string, object> sendData)
         {
             sendData["METHOD"] = method;
+            if (m_SecretKey != string.Empty)
+                sendData["KEY"] = m_SecretKey;
 
             string reply = string.Empty;
             lock (m_Lock)
diff --git a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnectorModule.cs b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnectorModule.cs
index d3de0e8975..5fb3c19883 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnectorModule.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRemoteConnectorModule.cs
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
             if (!Uri.IsWellFormedUriString(url, UriKind.Absolute))
                 throw new Exception(string.Format("[Groups.RemoteConnector]: Malformed groups server URL {0}. Fix it or disable the Groups feature.", url));
 
-            m_GroupsService = new GroupsServiceRemoteConnector(url);
+            string secret = groupsConfig.GetString("SecretKey", string.Empty);
+            m_GroupsService = new GroupsServiceRemoteConnector(url, secret);
             m_Scenes = new List<Scene>();
 
         }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRobustConnector.cs b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRobustConnector.cs
index 616afa9061..828965f9ae 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRobustConnector.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Addons/Groups/Remote/GroupsServiceRobustConnector.cs
@@ -52,14 +52,24 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
         public GroupsServiceRobustConnector(IConfigSource config, IHttpServer server, string configName) :
             base(config, server, configName)
         {
+            string key = string.Empty;
             if (configName != String.Empty)
                 m_ConfigName = configName;
 
             m_log.DebugFormat("[Groups.RobustConnector]: Starting with config name {0}", m_ConfigName);
 
+            IConfig groupsConfig = config.Configs[m_ConfigName];
+            if (groupsConfig != null)
+            {
+                key = groupsConfig.GetString("SecretKey", string.Empty);
+                m_log.DebugFormat("[Groups.RobustConnector]: Starting with secret key {0}", key);
+            }
+            else
+                m_log.WarnFormat("[Groups.RobustConnector]: Unable to find {0} section in configuration", m_ConfigName);
+
             m_GroupsService = new GroupsService(config);
 
-            server.AddStreamHandler(new GroupsServicePostHandler(m_GroupsService));
+            server.AddStreamHandler(new GroupsServicePostHandler(m_GroupsService, key));
         }
     }
 
@@ -68,11 +78,13 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
         private static readonly ILog m_log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
 
         private GroupsService m_GroupsService;
+        private string m_SecretKey = String.Empty;
 
-        public GroupsServicePostHandler(GroupsService service) :
+        public GroupsServicePostHandler(GroupsService service, string key) :
             base("POST", "/groups")
         {
             m_GroupsService = service;
+            m_SecretKey = key;
         }
 
         protected override byte[] ProcessRequest(string path, Stream requestData,
@@ -96,6 +108,20 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
                 string method = request["METHOD"].ToString();
                 request.Remove("METHOD");
 
+                if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(m_SecretKey)) // Verification required
+                {
+                    // Sender didn't send key
+                    if (!request.ContainsKey("KEY") || (request["KEY"] == null))
+                        return FailureResult("This service requires a secret key");
+
+                    // Sender sent wrong key
+                    if (!m_SecretKey.Equals(request["KEY"]))
+                        return FailureResult("Provided key does not match existing one");
+
+                    // OK, key matches. Remove it.
+                    request.Remove("KEY");
+                }
+
                 m_log.DebugFormat("[Groups.Handler]: {0}", method);
                 switch (method)
                 {
@@ -784,6 +810,14 @@ namespace OpenSim.Groups
             string xmlString = ServerUtils.BuildXmlResponse(result);
             return Util.UTF8NoBomEncoding.GetBytes(xmlString);
         }
+
+        private byte[] FailureResult(string reason)
+        {
+            Dictionary<string, object> result = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+            NullResult(result, reason);
+            string xmlString = ServerUtils.BuildXmlResponse(result);
+            return Util.UTF8NoBomEncoding.GetBytes(xmlString);
+        }
         #endregion
     }
 }
diff --git a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
index 1395d72124..8742313aeb 100644
--- a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
+++ b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
@@ -996,6 +996,10 @@
     ;; Used for V2 in HG only. If standalone, set this to local; if grided sim, set this to remote
     ; LocalService = local
 
+    ;# {SecretKey} {ServicesConnectorModule:Groups Remote Service Connector} {Secret key between sim and remote group service} {} ""
+    ;; Used for V2 in Remote only. 
+    ; SecretKey = ""
+
     ;# {GroupsServerURI} {Module:GroupsModule (ServicesConnectorModule:Groups Remote Service Connector or (ServicesConnectorModule:Groups HG Service Connector and LocalService:remote))} {Groups Server URI} {}
     ;; URI for the groups services of this grid
     ;; e.g. http://yourxmlrpcserver.com/xmlrpc.php for Flotsam XmlRpc