diff --git a/groupaccess.c b/groupaccess.c
index 2518c8487..9e4d25521 100644
--- a/groupaccess.c
+++ b/groupaccess.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ int
 ga_init(const char *user, gid_t base)
 {
 	gid_t *groups_bygid;
-	int i, j;
+	int i, j, retry = 0;
 	struct group *gr;
 
 	if (ngroups > 0)
@@ -62,10 +62,14 @@ ga_init(const char *user, gid_t base)
 #endif
 
 	groups_bygid = xcalloc(ngroups, sizeof(*groups_bygid));
+	while (getgrouplist(user, base, groups_bygid, &ngroups) == -1) {
+		if (retry++ > 0)
+			fatal("getgrouplist: groups list too small");
+		groups_bygid = xreallocarray(groups_bygid, ngroups,
+		    sizeof(*groups_bygid));
+	}
 	groups_byname = xcalloc(ngroups, sizeof(*groups_byname));
 
-	if (getgrouplist(user, base, groups_bygid, &ngroups) == -1)
-		logit("getgrouplist: groups list too small");
 	for (i = 0, j = 0; i < ngroups; i++)
 		if ((gr = getgrgid(groups_bygid[i])) != NULL)
 			groups_byname[j++] = xstrdup(gr->gr_name);
@@ -124,5 +128,6 @@ ga_free(void)
 			free(groups_byname[i]);
 		ngroups = 0;
 		free(groups_byname);
+		groups_byname = NULL;
 	}
 }