diff --git a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
index 280440ba7..7ae704637 100644
--- a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
+++ b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
@@ -485,12 +485,14 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
       relation = relation.joins("JOIN (#{pool_posts.to_sql}) pool_posts ON pool_posts.post_id = posts.id").order("pool_posts.pool_index ASC")
     end
 
-    q[:favgroups_neg].to_a.each do |favgroup|
-      relation = relation.where.not(id: FavoriteGroup.where(id: favgroup.id).select("unnest(post_ids)"))
+    q[:favgroup_neg].to_a.each do |favgroup_name|
+      favgroup = FavoriteGroup.visible(CurrentUser.user).name_or_id_matches(favgroup_name, CurrentUser.user)
+      relation = relation.where.not(id: favgroup.select("unnest(post_ids)"))
     end
 
-    q[:favgroups].to_a.each do |favgroup|
-      relation = relation.where(id: FavoriteGroup.where(id: favgroup.id).select("unnest(post_ids)"))
+    q[:favgroup].to_a.each do |favgroup_name|
+      favgroup = FavoriteGroup.visible(CurrentUser.user).name_or_id_matches(favgroup_name, CurrentUser.user)
+      relation = relation.where(id: favgroup.select("unnest(post_ids)"))
     end
 
     q[:upvoter].to_a.each do |upvoter|
@@ -782,18 +784,12 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
               q[:ordpool] = g2
 
             when "-favgroup"
-              favgroup = FavoriteGroup.find_by_name_or_id!(g2, CurrentUser.user)
-              raise User::PrivilegeError unless Pundit.policy!([CurrentUser.user, nil], favgroup).show?
-
-              q[:favgroups_neg] ||= []
-              q[:favgroups_neg] << favgroup
+              q[:favgroup_neg] ||= []
+              q[:favgroup_neg] << g2
 
             when "favgroup"
-              favgroup = FavoriteGroup.find_by_name_or_id!(g2, CurrentUser.user)
-              raise User::PrivilegeError unless Pundit.policy!([CurrentUser.user, nil], favgroup).show?
-
-              q[:favgroups] ||= []
-              q[:favgroups] << favgroup
+              q[:favgroup] ||= []
+              q[:favgroup] << g2
 
             when "-fav"
               favuser = User.find_by_name(g2)
diff --git a/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb b/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
index 0470fba84..a34bb0170 100644
--- a/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
+++ b/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ module PostSets
       name = Tag.has_metatag?(tag_array, :favgroup)
       return nil unless is_single_tag? && name.present?
 
-      @favgroup ||= FavoriteGroup.find_by_name_or_id(name, CurrentUser.user)
+      @favgroup ||= FavoriteGroup.visible(CurrentUser.user).find_by_name_or_id(name, CurrentUser.user)
     end
 
     def has_explicit?
diff --git a/app/models/favorite_group.rb b/app/models/favorite_group.rb
index 1ccc7a4d8..d90e0e04a 100644
--- a/app/models/favorite_group.rb
+++ b/app/models/favorite_group.rb
@@ -89,14 +89,18 @@ class FavoriteGroup < ApplicationRecord
     self.name = FavoriteGroup.normalize_name(name)
   end
 
-  def self.find_by_name_or_id(name, user)
+  def self.name_or_id_matches(name, user)
     if name =~ /\A\d+\z/
-      find_by(id: name)
+      where(id: name)
     else
-      user.favorite_groups.where_iequals(:name, normalize_name(name)).first
+      where(creator: user).where_iequals(:name, normalize_name(name))
     end
   end
 
+  def self.find_by_name_or_id(name, user)
+    name_or_id_matches(name, user).first
+  end
+
   def self.find_by_name_or_id!(name, user)
     find_by_name_or_id(name, user) or raise ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/post_test.rb b/test/unit/post_test.rb
index ced1732a9..90929ae73 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_test.rb
@@ -2092,12 +2092,35 @@ class PostTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     end
 
     should "return posts for the favgroup:<name> metatag" do
-      favgroups = FactoryBot.create_list(:favorite_group, 2, creator: CurrentUser.user)
-      posts = favgroups.map { |g| FactoryBot.create(:post, tag_string: "favgroup:#{g.name}") }
+      post1 = create(:post)
+      post2 = create(:post)
+      post3 = create(:post)
 
-      assert_tag_match([posts[0]], "favgroup:#{favgroups[0].name}")
-      assert_tag_match([posts[1]], "-favgroup:#{favgroups[0].name}")
-      assert_tag_match([], "-favgroup:#{favgroups[0].name} -favgroup:#{favgroups[1].name}")
+      favgroup1 = create(:favorite_group, creator: CurrentUser.user, post_ids: [post1.id])
+      favgroup2 = create(:favorite_group, creator: CurrentUser.user, post_ids: [post2.id])
+      favgroup3 = create(:favorite_group, creator: create(:user), post_ids: [post3.id], is_public: false)
+
+      assert_tag_match([post1], "favgroup:#{favgroup1.id}")
+      assert_tag_match([post2], "favgroup:#{favgroup2.name}")
+      assert_tag_match([], "favgroup:#{favgroup3.name}")
+      assert_tag_match([], "favgroup:dne")
+
+      assert_tag_match([post3, post2], "-favgroup:#{favgroup1.id}")
+      assert_tag_match([post3, post1], "-favgroup:#{favgroup2.name}")
+      assert_tag_match([post3, post2, post1], "-favgroup:#{favgroup3.name}")
+      assert_tag_match([post3, post2, post1], "-favgroup:dne")
+
+      assert_tag_match([post3], "-favgroup:#{favgroup1.name} -favgroup:#{favgroup2.name}")
+
+      as(favgroup3.creator) do
+        assert_tag_match([post1], "favgroup:#{favgroup1.id}")
+        assert_tag_match([post2], "favgroup:#{favgroup2.id}")
+        assert_tag_match([post3], "favgroup:#{favgroup3.id}")
+
+        assert_tag_match([], "favgroup:#{favgroup1.name}")
+        assert_tag_match([], "favgroup:#{favgroup2.name}")
+        assert_tag_match([post3], "favgroup:#{favgroup3.name}")
+      end
     end
 
     should "return posts for the user:<name> metatag" do