admins can bypass the request step of a group and just join it, and they also become owners when they join a group

src/groups.js

@@ -631,11 +631,24 @@ var async = require('async'),
 
 		Groups.exists(groupName, function(err, exists) {
 			if (exists) {
-				db.sortedSetAdd('group:' + groupName + ':members', Date.now(), uid, callback);
+				var tasks = [
+						async.apply(db.sortedSetAdd, 'group:' + groupName + ':members', Date.now(), uid)
+					];
+
+				user.isAdministrator(uid, function(err, isAdmin) {
+					if (isAdmin) {
+						tasks.push(async.apply(db.setAdd, 'group:' + groupName + ':owners', uid));
+					}
+
+					async.parallel(tasks, function(err) {
 						plugins.fireHook('action:group.join', {
 							groupName: groupName,
 							uid: uid
 						});
+
+						callback();
+					});
+				});
 			} else {
 				Groups.create({
 					name: groupName,

src/socket.io/groups.js

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 var	groups = require('../groups'),
 	meta = require('../meta'),
+	user = require('../user'),
+
+	async = require('async'),
 
 	SocketGroups = {};
 
@@ -11,8 +14,11 @@ SocketGroups.join = function(socket, data, callback) {
 	}
 
 	if (meta.config.allowPrivateGroups !== '0') {
-		groups.isPrivate(data.groupName, function(err, isPrivate) {
-			if (isPrivate) {
+		async.parallel({
+			isAdmin: async.apply(user.isAdministrator, socket.uid),
+			isPrivate: async.apply(groups.isPrivate, data.groupName)
+		}, function(err, checks) {
+			if (checks.isPrivate && !checks.isAdmin) {
 				groups.requestMembership(data.groupName, socket.uid, callback);
 			} else {
 				groups.join(data.groupName, socket.uid, callback);