diff --git a/.env.base b/.env.base
index 38504067a9..483a796d63 100644
--- a/.env.base
+++ b/.env.base
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ FEATURE__MATOMO_INTEGRATION=false
 FEATURE__WORDPRESS_INTEGRATION=false
 FEATURE__WIKI_INTEGRATION=false
 FEATURE__DISCOURSE_INTEGRATION=false
+FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_GROUPS=false
+FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_EVENTS=false
 
 # =============================================================================
 # LOGGING CONFIGURATION
diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
index 41f8a35131..ffe9907314 100644
--- a/.env.template
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ FEATURE__MATOMO_INTEGRATION="$FEATURE__MATOMO_INTEGRATION"
 FEATURE__WORDPRESS_INTEGRATION="$FEATURE__WORDPRESS_INTEGRATION"
 FEATURE__WIKI_INTEGRATION="$FEATURE__WIKI_INTEGRATION"
 FEATURE__DISCOURSE_INTEGRATION="$FEATURE__DISCOURSE_INTEGRATION"
+FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_GROUPS="$FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_GROUPS"
+FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_EVENTS="$FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_EVENTS"
 
 # =============================================================================
 # LOGGING CONFIGURATION
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/API/EventController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/API/EventController.php
index 9acb35a75e..e3eae326b2 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/API/EventController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/API/EventController.php
@@ -543,8 +543,9 @@ public function createEventv2(Request $request): JsonResponse
             }
         }
 
-        if ($autoapprove) {
-            Log::info("Auto-approve event $idParty");
+        // Only auto-approve if the feature is enabled AND the user has privileged role (Root, Admin, Host)
+        if ($autoapprove && $user->role <= ROLE::HOST) {
+            Log::info("Auto-approve event $idParty for user {$user->id} (role {$user->role})");
             Party::find($idParty)->approve();
         }
 
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/API/GroupController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/API/GroupController.php
index 03a9aa44d9..4ea66944d2 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/API/GroupController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/API/GroupController.php
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 use Illuminate\Auth\AuthenticationException;
 use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
 use Notification;
 use Illuminate\Validation\ValidationException;
 
@@ -867,12 +868,29 @@ public function createGroupv2(Request $request): JsonResponse {
             $file->upload('image', 'image', $idGroup, env('TBL_GROUPS'), false, true, true);
         }
 
-        // Notify relevant admins.
-        $notify_admins = Fixometer::usersWhoHavePreference('admin-moderate-group');
-        Notification::send($notify_admins, new AdminModerationGroup([
-                                                                        'group_name' => $name,
-                                                                        'group_url' => url('/group/edit/'.$idGroup),
-                                                                    ]));
+        // Check if groups should be auto-approved
+        if (env('FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_GROUPS', false) && $user->role <= ROLE::RESTARTER) {
+            // Auto-approve the group
+            $group->update(['approved' => true]);
+            
+            // Fire the approval event
+            event(new \App\Events\ApproveGroup($group, $data));
+            
+            // Notify the creator that their group was approved
+            Notification::send($user, new \App\Notifications\GroupConfirmed([
+                'group_name' => $name,
+                'group_url' => url('/group/view/'.$idGroup),
+            ]));
+            
+            Log::info("Auto-approved group: $idGroup for user {$user->id} (role {$user->role})");
+        } else {
+            // Notify relevant admins for moderation.
+            $notify_admins = Fixometer::usersWhoHavePreference('admin-moderate-group');
+            Notification::send($notify_admins, new AdminModerationGroup([
+                                                                            'group_name' => $name,
+                                                                            'group_url' => url('/group/edit/'.$idGroup),
+                                                                        ]));
+        }
 
         return response()->json([
             'id' => $idGroup,
diff --git a/app/Models/Group.php b/app/Models/Group.php
index f98b558084..71caf81ecf 100644
--- a/app/Models/Group.php
+++ b/app/Models/Group.php
@@ -427,21 +427,8 @@ public function getMaxUpdatedAtDevicesUpdatedAtAttribute()
 
     public function getAutoApproveAttribute()
     {
-        // A group's events are auto-approved iff all the networks that the group belongs to are set to auto-approve
-        // events.
-        $autoapprove = false;
-
-        $networks = $this->networks;
-
-        if ($networks && count($networks)) {
-            $autoapprove = true;
-
-            foreach ($networks as $network) {
-                $autoapprove &= $network->auto_approve_events;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return $autoapprove;
+        // Events are auto-approved based on environment configuration
+        return env('FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_EVENTS', false);
     }
 
     public function getDistanceAttribute()
diff --git a/charts/restarters/values.yaml b/charts/restarters/values.yaml
index 0de524e348..6d573c2c8d 100644
--- a/charts/restarters/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/restarters/values.yaml
@@ -233,6 +233,8 @@ envGroups:
     FEATURE__WORDPRESS_INTEGRATION: "false"
     FEATURE__WIKI_INTEGRATION: "false"
     FEATURE__DISCOURSE_INTEGRATION: "false"
+    FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_GROUPS: "false"
+    FEATURE__AUTO_APPROVE_EVENTS: "false"
 
   # Logging configuration
   logging: