diff --git a/keyserver/src/creators/role-creator.js b/keyserver/src/creators/role-creator.js
--- a/keyserver/src/creators/role-creator.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/creators/role-creator.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 
+import { defaultSpecialRoles } from 'lib/permissions/special-roles.js';
 import {
   getRolePermissionBlobs,
   getThreadPermissionBlobFromUserSurfacedPermissions,
@@ -50,11 +51,13 @@
     const id = ids.shift();
     namesToIDs[name] = id;
     const permissionsBlob = JSON.stringify(rolePermissions[name]);
-    newRows.push([id, threadID, name, permissionsBlob, time]);
+    const specialRole = defaultSpecialRoles[name] ?? null;
+    newRows.push([id, threadID, name, permissionsBlob, time, specialRole]);
   }
 
   const query = SQL`
-    INSERT INTO roles (id, thread, name, permissions, creation_time)
+    INSERT INTO roles (id, thread, name, 
+      permissions, creation_time, special_role)
     VALUES ${newRows}
   `;
   await dbQuery(query);
diff --git a/lib/permissions/special-roles.js b/lib/permissions/special-roles.js
--- a/lib/permissions/special-roles.js
+++ b/lib/permissions/special-roles.js
@@ -3,3 +3,7 @@
 export const specialRoles = Object.freeze({
   DEFAULT_ROLE: 1,
 });
+
+export const defaultSpecialRoles = Object.freeze({
+  Members: specialRoles.DEFAULT_ROLE,
+});