diff --git a/Configuration.cpp b/Configuration.cpp
index a51f991..7fac6f4 100644
--- a/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/Configuration.cpp
@@ -2014,7 +2014,7 @@ QStringList splitGroups(QString groupsString, bool filter){
         if(filter && !g.startsWith("@")){
             continue;
         }
-        groups.append(group.trimmed());
+        groups.append(group.trimmed().toUpper());
     }
 
     return groups;
@@ -2028,7 +2028,7 @@ bool Configuration::impl::validate ()
       return false;
   }
 
-  foreach(auto group, splitGroups(ui_->groups_line_edit->text(), false)){
+  foreach(auto group, splitGroups(ui_->groups_line_edit->text().toUpper().trimmed(), false)){
       if(!Varicode::isCompoundCallsign(group)){
           MessageBox::critical_message (this, QString("%1 is not a valid group").arg(group));
           return false;
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index f32a611..854cbe0 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1325,7 +1325,12 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QDir const& temp_directory, bool multiple,
       }
 
       if(callsign.startsWith("@")){
-          m_config.addGroup(callsign);
+          if(Varicode::isCompoundCallsign(callsign)){
+              m_config.addGroup(callsign);
+          } else {
+              MessageBox::critical_message (this, QString("%1 is not a valid group").arg(callsign));
+          }
+
       } else {
           CallDetail cd = {};
           cd.call = callsign;