diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/dao/RoleDao.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/dao/RoleDao.java
index 5481d30..f432ece 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/dao/RoleDao.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/dao/RoleDao.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Repository;
 import org.springframework.transaction.annotation.Transactional;
 
+import de.ids_mannheim.korap.constant.PredefinedRole;
 import de.ids_mannheim.korap.constant.PrivilegeType;
 import de.ids_mannheim.korap.entity.Role;
 import de.ids_mannheim.korap.entity.Role_;
@@ -28,7 +29,6 @@
  * 
  * @author margaretha
  * @see Role
- * @see PrivilegeDao
  */
 @Transactional
 @Repository
@@ -37,45 +37,42 @@
     @PersistenceContext
     private EntityManager entityManager;
 
-    @Autowired
-    private PrivilegeDao privilegeDao;
+//    public void deleteRole (int roleId) {
+//        Role r = retrieveRoleById(roleId);
+//        entityManager.remove(r);
+//    }
+//
+//    public void editRoleName (int roleId, PredefinedRole name) {
+//        Role r = retrieveRoleById(roleId);
+//        r.setName(name);
+//        entityManager.persist(r);
+//    }
 
-    public void createRole (String name, List<PrivilegeType> privilegeTypes) {
-        Role r = new Role();
-        r.setName(name);
-        entityManager.persist(r);
-        privilegeDao.addPrivilegesToRole(r, privilegeTypes);
+
+    public void addRole (Role newRole) {
+        entityManager.persist(newRole);
+        entityManager.flush();
     }
-
-    public void deleteRole (int roleId) {
-        Role r = retrieveRoleById(roleId);
-        entityManager.remove(r);
-    }
-
-    public void editRoleName (int roleId, String name) {
-        Role r = retrieveRoleById(roleId);
-        r.setName(name);
-        entityManager.persist(r);
-    }
-
-    public Role retrieveRoleById (int roleId) {
+    
+    public Role retrieveRoleByName (PredefinedRole role) {
         CriteriaBuilder criteriaBuilder = entityManager.getCriteriaBuilder();
         CriteriaQuery<Role> query = criteriaBuilder.createQuery(Role.class);
 
         Root<Role> root = query.from(Role.class);
-        root.fetch(Role_.privileges);
+//        root.fetch(Role_.privileges);
         query.select(root);
-        query.where(criteriaBuilder.equal(root.get(Role_.id), roleId));
+        query.where(criteriaBuilder.equal(root.get(Role_.name), role));
         Query q = entityManager.createQuery(query);
         return (Role) q.getSingleResult();
     }
 
+    @Deprecated
     public Role retrieveRoleByName (String roleName) {
         CriteriaBuilder criteriaBuilder = entityManager.getCriteriaBuilder();
         CriteriaQuery<Role> query = criteriaBuilder.createQuery(Role.class);
 
         Root<Role> root = query.from(Role.class);
-        root.fetch(Role_.privileges);
+//        root.fetch(Role_.privileges);
         query.select(root);
         query.where(criteriaBuilder.equal(root.get(Role_.name), roleName));
         Query q = entityManager.createQuery(query);
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
index bfa8b45..edab0d3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@
     }
 
     public void editMemberRoles (String username, String groupName,
-            String memberUsername, List<PredefinedRole> roleIds)
+            String memberUsername, List<PredefinedRole> roleList)
             throws KustvaktException {
 
         ParameterChecker.checkStringValue(username, "username");
@@ -597,8 +597,8 @@
             }
 
             Set<Role> roles = new HashSet<>();
-            for (int i = 0; i < roleIds.size(); i++) {
-                roles.add(roleDao.retrieveRoleByName(roleIds.get(i)));
+            for (int i = 0; i < roleList.size(); i++) {
+                roles.add(roleDao.retrieveRoleByName(roleList.get(i)));
             }
             member.setRoles(roles);
             groupMemberDao.updateMember(member);
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@
     }
 
     public void deleteMemberRoles (String username, String groupName,
-            String memberUsername, List<Integer> roleIds)
+            String memberUsername, List<PredefinedRole> rolesToBeDeleted)
             throws KustvaktException {
 
         ParameterChecker.checkStringValue(username, "username");
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@
             Set<Role> roles = member.getRoles();
             Iterator<Role> i = roles.iterator();
             while (i.hasNext()) {
-                if (roleIds.contains(i.next().getId())) {
+                if (rolesToBeDeleted.contains(i.next().getName())) {
                     i.remove();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/web/controller/UserGroupController.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/web/controller/UserGroupController.java
index eb6f046..c2893df 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/web/controller/UserGroupController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/web/controller/UserGroupController.java
@@ -222,7 +222,8 @@
         }
     }
 
-    /**
+    /** DEPRECATED for simplicity and easier maintenance.
+     * 
      * Very similar to addMemberRoles web-service, but allows deletion
      * as well.
      * 
@@ -235,20 +236,21 @@
      *            a role id or multiple role ids
      * @return
      */
+    @Deprecated
     @POST
     @Path("@{groupName}/role/edit")
     @Consumes(MediaType.APPLICATION_FORM_URLENCODED)
     public Response editMemberRoles (@Context SecurityContext securityContext,
             @PathParam("groupName") String groupName,
             @FormParam("memberUsername") String memberUsername,
-            @FormParam("roleId") List<PredefinedRole> roleIds) {
+            @FormParam("roles") List<PredefinedRole> roles) {
         TokenContext context = (TokenContext) securityContext
                 .getUserPrincipal();
         try {
             scopeService.verifyScope(context,
                     OAuth2Scope.EDIT_USER_GROUP_MEMBER_ROLE);
             service.editMemberRoles(context.getUsername(), groupName,
-                    memberUsername, roleIds);
+                    memberUsername, roles);
             return Response.ok("SUCCESS").build();
         }
         catch (KustvaktException e) {
@@ -275,7 +277,7 @@
     public Response addMemberRoles (@Context SecurityContext securityContext,
             @PathParam("groupName") String groupName,
             @FormParam("memberUsername") String memberUsername,
-            @FormParam("roleId") List<PredefinedRole> roles) {
+            @FormParam("role") List<PredefinedRole> roles) {
         TokenContext context = (TokenContext) securityContext
                 .getUserPrincipal();
         try {
@@ -310,14 +312,14 @@
     public Response deleteMemberRoles (@Context SecurityContext securityContext,
             @PathParam("groupName") String groupName,
             @FormParam("memberUsername") String memberUsername,
-            @FormParam("roleId") List<Integer> roleIds) {
+            @FormParam("role") List<PredefinedRole> roles) {
         TokenContext context = (TokenContext) securityContext
                 .getUserPrincipal();
         try {
             scopeService.verifyScope(context,
                     OAuth2Scope.DELETE_USER_GROUP_MEMBER_ROLE);
             service.deleteMemberRoles(context.getUsername(), groupName,
-                    memberUsername, roleIds);
+                    memberUsername, roles);
             return Response.ok("SUCCESS").build();
         }
         catch (KustvaktException e) {