diff --git a/common/c_types.rs b/common/c_types.rs
index fec14f4e5..5de352d53 100644
--- a/common/c_types.rs
+++ b/common/c_types.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ extern {
                         groups: *gid_t,
                         ngroups: *mut c_int) -> c_int;
     pub fn getgrgid(gid: gid_t) -> *c_group;
+    pub fn getgrnam(name: *c_char) -> *c_group;
 }
 
 pub fn get_pw_from_args(free: &Vec<String>) -> Option<c_passwd> {
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ pub fn get_pw_from_args(free: &Vec<String>) -> Option<c_passwd> {
         // Passed the username as a string
         } else {
             let pw_pointer = unsafe {
-                getpwnam(username.as_slice().as_ptr() as *i8)
+                getpwnam(username.as_slice().to_c_str().unwrap() as *libc::c_char)
             };
             if pw_pointer.is_not_null() {
                 Some(unsafe { read(pw_pointer) })
@@ -121,6 +122,21 @@ pub fn get_pw_from_args(free: &Vec<String>) -> Option<c_passwd> {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn get_group(groupname: &str) -> Option<c_group> {
+    let group = if groupname.chars().all(|c| c.is_digit()) {
+        unsafe { getgrgid(from_str::<uid_t>(groupname).unwrap()) }
+    } else {
+        unsafe { getgrnam(groupname.to_c_str().unwrap() as *c_char) }
+    };
+
+    if group.is_not_null() {
+        Some(unsafe { read(group) })
+    }
+    else {
+        None
+    }
+}
+
 static NGROUPS: i32 = 20;
 
 pub fn group(possible_pw: Option<c_passwd>, nflag: bool) {