diff --git a/manifests/cheaha_groups.pp b/manifests/cheaha_groups.pp
index aecee66b90263e2867ca3cccb71be9db219edfa8..7188d09ae4b417b58956ffee69f9cc621d27e2d9 100644
--- a/manifests/cheaha_groups.pp
+++ b/manifests/cheaha_groups.pp
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ class users::cheaha_groups inherits users::virtual_groups
     Group["telecom"],
     Group["tfoley"],
     Group["useradmin"],
+    Group["vbc-admin"],
     Group["visscherlab"],
     Group["vizbrain"],
     Group["vpit"],
diff --git a/manifests/virtual_groups.pp b/manifests/virtual_groups.pp
index 4432365a1a8ab61f4e6929b49c7c5dd7daf9db7c..aa91cb4d6c6511d97e156c8db69be0fb976ab6fc 100644
--- a/manifests/virtual_groups.pp
+++ b/manifests/virtual_groups.pp
@@ -463,6 +463,12 @@ class users::virtual_groups
     gid     => "1071",
     ensure  => "present",
   }
+  # Administrative group owner for supporting Visual Brain Core operations: https://trac.uabgrid.uab.edu/atlab/ticket/857
+  @group { "vbc-admin":
+    gid     => "1072",
+    ensure  => "present",
+  }
+
   # SSG users, kzhang uid and gid should eventually be changed to a larger number, too close to the base group numbers
   @group { "kzhang":
     gid     => "1117",