diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.css b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.css
index 6a41fd91a0b..0b8b66b1928 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.css
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.css
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+#groupTree:focused,
+#groupTree:filled:selected {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-sidepane-background;
+}
+
 .tree-table-view, .tree-table-row-cell {
     -fx-background-color: -jr-sidepane-background;
     -fx-table-cell-border-color: transparent; /* hide grid lines */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.fxml b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.fxml
index 583d5c1cea1..ea9b692ef1b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.fxml
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupTree.fxml
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@
 <?import javafx.scene.layout.Region?>
 <?import org.jabref.gui.icon.JabRefIconView?>
 <?import org.controlsfx.control.textfield.CustomTextField?>
-<BorderPane xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" prefHeight="600.0" prefWidth="150.0" styleClass="groupsPane"
+<BorderPane xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" prefHeight="600.0" prefWidth="150.0"
             xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8.0.112" fx:controller="org.jabref.gui.groups.GroupTreeView">
     <center>
-        <TreeTableView fx:id="groupTree" layoutY="-7.0" prefHeight="600.0" prefWidth="250.0" styleClass="groupsPane">
+        <TreeTableView fx:id="groupTree" layoutY="-7.0" prefHeight="600.0" prefWidth="250.0">
             <columns>
                 <TreeTableColumn fx:id="mainColumn"/>
                 <TreeTableColumn fx:id="numberColumn" minWidth="50.0" maxWidth="70.0" prefWidth="60.0"