diff --git a/phpBB/config/notifications.yml b/phpBB/config/notifications.yml
index 04c5e46a9c..fc687cbd19 100644
--- a/phpBB/config/notifications.yml
+++ b/phpBB/config/notifications.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ services:
         tags:
             - { name: notification.type }
 
+    notification.type.group_request_approved:
+        class: phpbb_notification_type_group_request_approved
+        scope: prototype # scope MUST be prototype for this to work!
+        arguments:
+            - @user_loader
+            - @dbal.conn
+            - @cache.driver
+            - @user
+            - @auth
+            - @config
+            - %core.root_path%
+            - %core.php_ext%
+            - %tables.notification_types%
+            - %tables.notifications%
+            - %tables.user_notifications%
+        tags:
+            - { name: notification.type }
+
     notification.type.pm:
         class: phpbb_notification_type_pm
         scope: prototype # scope MUST be prototype for this to work!
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
index 102fbaae78..4fcce67801 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
@@ -2929,11 +2929,10 @@ function group_user_attributes($action, $group_id, $user_id_ary = false, $userna
 					AND ' . $db->sql_in_set('ug.user_id', $user_id_ary);
 			$result = $db->sql_query($sql);
 
-			$user_id_ary = $email_users = array();
+			$user_id_ary = array();
 			while ($row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result))
 			{
 				$user_id_ary[] = $row['user_id'];
-				$email_users[] = $row;
 			}
 			$db->sql_freeresult($result);
 
@@ -2948,29 +2947,13 @@ function group_user_attributes($action, $group_id, $user_id_ary = false, $userna
 					AND " . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
 			$db->sql_query($sql);
 
-			// Send approved email to users...
-			include_once($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_messenger.' . $phpEx);
-			$messenger = new messenger();
-
-			foreach ($email_users as $row)
-			{
-				$messenger->template('group_approved', $row['user_lang']);
-
-				$messenger->set_addresses($row);
-
-				$messenger->assign_vars(array(
-					'USERNAME'		=> htmlspecialchars_decode($row['username']),
-					'GROUP_NAME'	=> htmlspecialchars_decode($group_name),
-					'U_GROUP'		=> generate_board_url() . "/ucp.$phpEx?i=groups&mode=membership")
-				);
-
-				$messenger->send($row['user_notify_type']);
-			}
-
-			$messenger->save_queue();
-
 			$phpbb_notifications = $phpbb_container->get('notification_manager');
 
+			$phpbb_notifications->add_notifications('group_request_approved', array(
+				'user_ids'		=> $user_id_ary,
+				'group_id'		=> $group_id,
+				'group_name'	=> $group_name,
+			));
 			$phpbb_notifications->delete_notifications('group_request', $user_id_ary, $group_id);
 
 			$log = 'LOG_USERS_APPROVED';
diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/common.php b/phpBB/language/en/common.php
index d94896decc..e5c0478d98 100644
--- a/phpBB/language/en/common.php
+++ b/phpBB/language/en/common.php
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	),
 	'NOTIFICATION_BOOKMARK'				=> '%1$s replied to the topic "%2$s" you have bookmarked.',
 	'NOTIFICATION_GROUP_REQUEST'		=> '%1$s is requesting to join the group %2$s.',
+	'NOTIFICATION_GROUP_REQUEST_APPROVED'	=> 'Your request to join the group %1$s has been approved.',
 	'NOTIFICATION_PM'					=> '%1$s sent you a Private Message "%2$s".',
 	'NOTIFICATION_POST'					=> '%1$s replied to the topic "%2$s".',
 	'NOTIFICATION_POST_APPROVED'		=> 'Your post was approved "%2$s".',
diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/email/group_approved.txt b/phpBB/language/en/email/group_approved.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 24afefcd07..0000000000
--- a/phpBB/language/en/email/group_approved.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-Subject: Your request has been approved
-
-Congratulations,
-
-Your request to join the "{GROUP_NAME}" group on "{SITENAME}" has been approved.
-Click on the following link to see your group membership.
-
-{U_GROUP}
-
-{EMAIL_SIG}
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request.php b/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request.php
index 490b9e16a3..1a3b5b6992 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request.php
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ class phpbb_notification_type_group_request extends phpbb_notification_type_base
 	public function is_available()
 	{
 		// Leader of any groups?
-		$sql = 'SELECT group_id FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . '
+		$sql = 'SELECT group_id
+			FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . '
 			WHERE user_id = ' . (int) $this->user->data['user_id'] . '
 				AND group_leader = 1';
 		$result = $this->db->sql_query_limit($sql, 1);
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@ class phpbb_notification_type_group_request extends phpbb_notification_type_base
 			'ignore_users'		=> array(),
 		), $options);
 
-		$sql = 'SELECT user_id FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . '
+		$sql = 'SELECT user_id
+			FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . '
 			WHERE group_leader = 1
 				AND group_id = ' . (int) $group['group_id'];
 		$result = $this->db->sql_query($sql);
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request_approved.php b/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request_approved.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce83329ff3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/notification/type/group_request_approved.php
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+/**
+*
+* @package notifications
+* @copyright (c) 2013 phpBB Group
+* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php GNU General Public License v2
+*
+*/
+
+/**
+* @ignore
+*/
+if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
+{
+	exit;
+}
+
+class phpbb_notification_type_group_request_approved extends phpbb_notification_type_base
+{
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function get_type()
+	{
+		return 'group_request_approved';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function is_available()
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public static function get_item_id($group)
+	{
+		return (int) $group['group_id'];
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public static function get_item_parent_id($group)
+	{
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function find_users_for_notification($group, $options = array())
+	{
+		$users = array();
+
+		$group['user_ids'] = (!is_array($group['user_ids'])) ? array($group['user_ids']) : $group['user_ids'];
+
+		foreach ($group['user_ids'] as $user_id)
+		{
+			$users[$user_id] = array('');
+		}
+
+		return $users;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function get_title()
+	{
+		return $this->user->lang('NOTIFICATION_GROUP_REQUEST_APPROVED', $this->get_data('group_name'));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function get_url()
+	{
+		return append_sid($this->phpbb_root_path . 'memberlist.' . $this->php_ext, "mode=group&g={$this->item_id}");
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function create_insert_array($group, $pre_create_data = array())
+	{
+		$this->set_data('group_name', $group['group_name']);
+
+		return parent::create_insert_array($group, $pre_create_data);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function users_to_query()
+	{
+		return array();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function get_email_template()
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function get_email_template_variables()
+	{
+		return array();
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/notification/group_request_test.php b/tests/notification/group_request_test.php
index 3606a6455c..368e4ae973 100644
--- a/tests/notification/group_request_test.php
+++ b/tests/notification/group_request_test.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class phpbb_notification_group_request_test extends phpbb_tests_notification_bas
 			parent::get_notification_types(),
 			array(
 				'group_request',
+				'group_request_approved',
 			)
 		);
 	}
@@ -76,5 +77,33 @@ class phpbb_notification_group_request_test extends phpbb_tests_notification_bas
 				'user_id'		=> 2,
 			)
 		);
+
+		// Approve user 3 joining the group
+		group_user_attributes('approve', $group_id, array(3));
+
+		// user 3 pending notification should have been deleted
+		$this->assert_notifications(
+			array(),
+			array(
+				'user_id'		=> 2,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$this->assert_notifications(
+			array(
+				// user 3 approved notification
+				array(
+					'item_id'				=> $group_id, // user_id of requesting join
+					'user_id'	   			=> 3,
+					'notification_read'		=> 0,
+					'notification_data'	   	=> array(
+						'group_name'			=> 'test',
+					),
+				),
+			),
+			array(
+				'user_id'		=> 3,
+			)
+		);
 	}
 }