diff --git a/lib/private/group/backend.php b/lib/private/group/backend.php
index ab694268bb..9348463a53 100644
--- a/lib/private/group/backend.php
+++ b/lib/private/group/backend.php
@@ -23,29 +23,51 @@
 
 /**
  * error code for functions not provided by the group backend
+ * @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::NOT_IMPLEMENTED instead
  */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_NOT_IMPLEMENTED',   -501);
 
 /**
  * actions that user backends can define
  */
+/** @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::CREATE_GROUP instead */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_CREATE_GROUP',      0x00000001);
+/** @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::DELETE_GROUP instead */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_DELETE_GROUP',      0x00000010);
+/** @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::ADD_TO_GROUP instead */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_ADD_TO_GROUP',      0x00000100);
+/** @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::REMOVE_FROM_GOUP instead */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_REMOVE_FROM_GOUP',  0x00001000);
+/** @deprecated Obsolete */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_GET_DISPLAYNAME',   0x00010000); //OBSOLETE
+/** @deprecated Use \OC_Group_Backend::COUNT_USERS instead */
 define('OC_GROUP_BACKEND_COUNT_USERS',       0x00100000);
 
 /**
  * Abstract base class for user management
  */
 abstract class OC_Group_Backend implements OC_Group_Interface {
+	/**
+	 * error code for functions not provided by the group backend
+	 */
+	const NOT_IMPLEMENTED = -501;
+
+	/**
+	 * actions that user backends can define
+	 */
+	const CREATE_GROUP		= 0x00000001;
+	const DELETE_GROUP		= 0x00000010;
+	const ADD_TO_GROUP		= 0x00000100;
+	const REMOVE_FROM_GOUP	= 0x00001000;
+	//OBSOLETE const GET_DISPLAYNAME	= 0x00010000;
+	const COUNT_USERS		= 0x00100000;
+
 	protected $possibleActions = array(
-		OC_GROUP_BACKEND_CREATE_GROUP => 'createGroup',
-		OC_GROUP_BACKEND_DELETE_GROUP => 'deleteGroup',
-		OC_GROUP_BACKEND_ADD_TO_GROUP => 'addToGroup',
-		OC_GROUP_BACKEND_REMOVE_FROM_GOUP => 'removeFromGroup',
-		OC_GROUP_BACKEND_COUNT_USERS => 'countUsersInGroup',
+		self::CREATE_GROUP => 'createGroup',
+		self::DELETE_GROUP => 'deleteGroup',
+		self::ADD_TO_GROUP => 'addToGroup',
+		self::REMOVE_FROM_GOUP => 'removeFromGroup',
+		self::COUNT_USERS => 'countUsersInGroup',
 	);
 
 	/**
diff --git a/lib/private/group/group.php b/lib/private/group/group.php
index 6f8b84dff1..6111051ea0 100644
--- a/lib/private/group/group.php
+++ b/lib/private/group/group.php
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class Group implements IGroup {
 			$this->emitter->emit('\OC\Group', 'preAddUser', array($this, $user));
 		}
 		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-			if ($backend->implementsActions(OC_GROUP_BACKEND_ADD_TO_GROUP)) {
+			if ($backend->implementsActions(\OC_Group_Backend::ADD_TO_GROUP)) {
 				$backend->addToGroup($user->getUID(), $this->gid);
 				if ($this->users) {
 					$this->users[$user->getUID()] = $user;
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class Group implements IGroup {
 			$this->emitter->emit('\OC\Group', 'preRemoveUser', array($this, $user));
 		}
 		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-			if ($backend->implementsActions(OC_GROUP_BACKEND_REMOVE_FROM_GOUP) and $backend->inGroup($user->getUID(), $this->gid)) {
+			if ($backend->implementsActions(\OC_Group_Backend::REMOVE_FROM_GOUP) and $backend->inGroup($user->getUID(), $this->gid)) {
 				$backend->removeFromGroup($user->getUID(), $this->gid);
 				$result = true;
 			}
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class Group implements IGroup {
 	public function count($search = '') {
 		$users = false;
 		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-			if($backend->implementsActions(OC_GROUP_BACKEND_COUNT_USERS)) {
+			if($backend->implementsActions(\OC_Group_Backend::COUNT_USERS)) {
 				if($users === false) {
 					//we could directly add to a bool variable, but this would
 					//be ugly
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class Group implements IGroup {
 			$this->emitter->emit('\OC\Group', 'preDelete', array($this));
 		}
 		foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-			if ($backend->implementsActions(OC_GROUP_BACKEND_DELETE_GROUP)) {
+			if ($backend->implementsActions(\OC_Group_Backend::DELETE_GROUP)) {
 				$result = true;
 				$backend->deleteGroup($this->gid);
 			}
diff --git a/lib/private/group/interface.php b/lib/private/group/interface.php
index ee5c2d635d..ee2d718e5d 100644
--- a/lib/private/group/interface.php
+++ b/lib/private/group/interface.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ interface OC_Group_Interface {
 	* @return boolean
 	*
 	* Returns the supported actions as int to be
-	* compared with OC_GROUP_BACKEND_CREATE_GROUP etc.
+	* compared with \OC_Group_Backend::CREATE_GROUP etc.
 	*/
 	public function implementsActions($actions);
 
diff --git a/lib/private/group/manager.php b/lib/private/group/manager.php
index 417be79ab3..be7bf97269 100644
--- a/lib/private/group/manager.php
+++ b/lib/private/group/manager.php
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Manager extends PublicEmitter implements IGroupManager {
 		} else {
 			$this->emit('\OC\Group', 'preCreate', array($gid));
 			foreach ($this->backends as $backend) {
-				if ($backend->implementsActions(OC_GROUP_BACKEND_CREATE_GROUP)) {
+				if ($backend->implementsActions(\OC_Group_Backend::CREATE_GROUP)) {
 					$backend->createGroup($gid);
 					$group = $this->getGroupObject($gid);
 					$this->emit('\OC\Group', 'postCreate', array($group));