diff --git a/website/client/js/app.js b/website/client/js/app.js
index 672ef32f09..bcd0da6cc6 100644
--- a/website/client/js/app.js
+++ b/website/client/js/app.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ window.habitrpg = angular.module('habitrpg',
   .constant("STORAGE_USER_ID", 'habitrpg-user')
   .constant("STORAGE_SETTINGS_ID", 'habit-mobile-settings')
   .constant("MOBILE_APP", false)
+  .constant("TAVERN_ID", '00000000-0000-4000-A000-000000000000')
   //.constant("STORAGE_GROUPS_ID", "") // if we decide to take groups offline
 
   .config(['$stateProvider', '$urlRouterProvider', '$httpProvider', 'STORAGE_SETTINGS_ID',
diff --git a/website/client/js/controllers/challengesCtrl.js b/website/client/js/controllers/challengesCtrl.js
index 9a0fae322d..aa36cb32a8 100644
--- a/website/client/js/controllers/challengesCtrl.js
+++ b/website/client/js/controllers/challengesCtrl.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User', 'Challenges', 'Notification', '$compile', 'Groups', '$state', '$stateParams', 'Members', 'Tasks',
-  function($rootScope, $scope, Shared, User, Challenges, Notification, $compile, Groups, $state, $stateParams, Members, Tasks) {
+habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User', 'Challenges', 'Notification', '$compile', 'Groups', '$state', '$stateParams', 'Members', 'Tasks', 'TAVERN_ID',
+  function($rootScope, $scope, Shared, User, Challenges, Notification, $compile, Groups, $state, $stateParams, Members, Tasks, TAVERN_ID) {
 
     // Use presence of cid to determine whether to show a list or a single
     // challenge
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
         }
       }
 
-      if(!defaultGroup) defaultGroup = 'habitrpg';
+      if(!defaultGroup) defaultGroup = TAVERN_ID;
 
       $scope.obj = $scope.newChallenge = {
         name: '',
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
     $scope["delete"] = function(challenge) {
       var warningMsg;
 
-      if(challenge.group._id == 'habitrpg') {
+      if(challenge.group._id == TAVERN_ID) {
         warningMsg = window.env.t('sureDelChaTavern');
       } else {
         warningMsg = window.env.t('sureDelCha');
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
 
       _calculateMaxPrize(gid);
 
-      if (gid == 'habitrpg') {
+      if (gid == TAVERN_ID) {
         $scope.newChallenge.prize = 1;
       }
     })
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
 
     $scope.insufficientGemsForTavernChallenge = function() {
       var balance = User.user.balance || 0;
-      var isForTavern = $scope.newChallenge.group == 'habitrpg';
+      var isForTavern = $scope.newChallenge.group == TAVERN_ID;
 
       if (isForTavern) {
         return balance <= 0;
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
     };
 
     $scope.filterInitialChallenges = function() {
-      $scope.groupsFilter = _.uniq(_.pluck($scope.challenges, 'group'), function(g) {return g._id});
+      $scope.groupsFilter = _.uniq(_.compact(_.pluck($scope.challenges, 'group')), function(g) {return g._id});
 
       $scope.search = {
         group: _.transform($scope.groups, function(m,g) { m[g._id] = true;}),
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("ChallengesCtrl", ['$rootScope','$scope', 'Shared', 'User',
       // case where a challenge's leader deletes their account
       var userIsOwner = (chal.leader && chal.leader._id) === User.user.id;
 
-      var groupSelected = $scope.search.group[chal.group._id];
+      var groupSelected = $scope.search.group[chal.group ? chal.group._id : null];
       var checkOwner = $scope.search._isOwner === 'either' || (userIsOwner === $scope.search._isOwner);
       var checkMember = $scope.search._isMember === 'either' || ($scope.isUserMemberOf(chal) === $scope.search._isMember);
 
diff --git a/website/client/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js b/website/client/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
index 1cd06e865d..91fda45691 100644
--- a/website/client/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
+++ b/website/client/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 /* Make user and settings available for everyone through root scope.
  */
 
-habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$http', '$state', '$stateParams', 'Notification', 'Groups', 'Shared', 'Content', '$modal', '$timeout', 'ApiUrl', 'Payments','$sce','$window','Analytics',
-  function($scope, $rootScope, $location, User, $http, $state, $stateParams, Notification, Groups, Shared, Content, $modal, $timeout, ApiUrl, Payments, $sce, $window, Analytics) {
+habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$http', '$state', '$stateParams', 'Notification', 'Groups', 'Shared', 'Content', '$modal', '$timeout', 'ApiUrl', 'Payments','$sce','$window','Analytics','TAVERN_ID',
+  function($scope, $rootScope, $location, User, $http, $state, $stateParams, Notification, Groups, Shared, Content, $modal, $timeout, ApiUrl, Payments, $sce, $window, Analytics, TAVERN_ID) {
     var user = User.user;
 
     var initSticky = _.once(function(){
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$
         }
       });
 
+    $rootScope.TAVERN_ID = TAVERN_ID;
     $rootScope.User = User;
     $rootScope.user = user;
     $rootScope.moment = window.moment;
diff --git a/website/views/options/social/challenges.jade b/website/views/options/social/challenges.jade
index ad95a7c992..3557f78325 100644
--- a/website/views/options/social/challenges.jade
+++ b/website/views/options/social/challenges.jade
@@ -160,12 +160,12 @@ script(type='text/ng-template', id='partials/options.social.challenges.html')
                       .Pet_Currency_Gem1x
                     input.form-control(type='number', placeholder=env.t('prize'),
                       ng-disabled='insufficientGemsForTavernChallenge()'
-                      min="{{newChallenge.group=='habitrpg' ? 1 : 0}}",
+                      min="{{newChallenge.group==TAVERN_ID ? 1 : 0}}",
                       max="{{maxPrize}}", ng-model='newChallenge.prize')
-                  a.hint(popover="{{newChallenge.group=='habitrpg' ? env.t('prizePopTavern') : env.t('prizePop')}}",
+                  a.hint(popover="{{newChallenge.group==TAVERN_ID ? env.t('prizePopTavern') : env.t('prizePop')}}",
                     popover-trigger='mouseenter', popover-placement='right')
                     =env.t('moreInfo')
-                  div(ng-show='newChallenge.group=="habitrpg"')
+                  div(ng-show='newChallenge.group==TAVERN_ID')
                     !=env.t('publicChallenges')
 
               .form-group(ng-if='user.contributor.admin')
diff --git a/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade b/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
index 74fc071dfe..3792070706 100644
--- a/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
+++ b/website/views/options/social/chat-box.jade
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ div.chat-form.guidelines-not-accepted(ng-if='!user.flags.communityGuidelinesAcce
 
 form.chat-form(ng-if='user.flags.communityGuidelinesAccepted' ng-submit='postChat(group,message.content)')
   div(ng-controller='AutocompleteCtrl')
-    textarea.form-control(rows=4, ui-keydown='{"meta-enter":"postChat(group,message.content)"}', ui-keypress='{13:"postChat(group,message.content)"}', ng-model='message.content', updateinterval='250', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete placeholder="{{group._id == 'habitrpg' ? env.t('tavernCommunityGuidelinesPlaceholder') : ''}}", ng-disabled='_sending == true')
+    textarea.form-control(rows=4, ui-keydown='{"meta-enter":"postChat(group,message.content)"}', ui-keypress='{13:"postChat(group,message.content)"}', ng-model='message.content', updateinterval='250', flag='@', at-user, auto-complete placeholder="{{group._id == TAVERN_ID ? env.t('tavernCommunityGuidelinesPlaceholder') : ''}}", ng-disabled='_sending == true')
     span.user-list
       ul.list-at-user(ng-show="query")
         li(ng-repeat='msg in response | filter:filterUser | limitTo: 5', ng-click='performCompletion(msg)')