diff --git a/services/api/src/resources/group/resolvers.ts b/services/api/src/resources/group/resolvers.ts
index 9b7765e60b..e393d9e0b9 100644
--- a/services/api/src/resources/group/resolvers.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/resources/group/resolvers.ts
@@ -379,8 +379,16 @@ export const addGroup: ResolverFn = async (
   });
   await models.GroupModel.addProjectToGroup(null, group);
 
-  // if the user is not an admin, or an organization add, then add the user as an owner to the group
-  if (!adminScopes.projectViewAll && !input.organization && keycloakGrant) {
+  // if the user is not an admin, then add the user as an owner to the group
+  let userAlreadyHasAccess = false;
+  if (adminScopes.projectViewAll) {
+    userAlreadyHasAccess = true
+  }
+  // if the group is created without the addOrgOwner boolean set to true, then do not add the user to the group as its owner
+  if (!input.addOrgOwner) {
+    userAlreadyHasAccess = true
+  }
+  if (!userAlreadyHasAccess && keycloakGrant) {
     const user = await models.UserModel.loadUserById(
       keycloakGrant.access_token.content.sub
     );
diff --git a/services/api/src/resources/project/resolvers.ts b/services/api/src/resources/project/resolvers.ts
index 1806354238..fbd8185c9a 100644
--- a/services/api/src/resources/project/resolvers.ts
+++ b/services/api/src/resources/project/resolvers.ts
@@ -293,7 +293,10 @@ export const addProject = async (
     await hasPermission('organization', 'addProject', {
       organization: input.organization
     });
-    userAlreadyHasAccess = true
+    // if the project is created without the addOrgOwner boolean set to true, then do not add the user to the project as its owner
+    if (!input.addOrgOwner) {
+      userAlreadyHasAccess = true
+    }
     // check the project quota before adding the project
     const organization = await organizationHelpers(sqlClientPool).getOrganizationById(input.organization);
     const projects = await organizationHelpers(sqlClientPool).getProjectsByOrganizationId(input.organization);
diff --git a/services/api/src/typeDefs.js b/services/api/src/typeDefs.js
index 36a5c5c80d..633b887e51 100644
--- a/services/api/src/typeDefs.js
+++ b/services/api/src/typeDefs.js
@@ -1491,6 +1491,7 @@ const typeDefs = gql`
     developmentBuildPriority: Int
     deploymentsDisabled: Int
     organization: Int
+    addOrgOwner: Boolean
     buildImage: String
     sharedBaasBucket: Boolean
   }
@@ -2175,6 +2176,7 @@ const typeDefs = gql`
     name: String!
     parentGroup: GroupInput
     organization: Int
+    addOrgOwner: Boolean
   }
 
   input UpdateGroupPatchInput {