diff --git src/bp-core/bp-core-buddybar.php src/bp-core/bp-core-buddybar.php
index f16557f..77fabd6 100644
--- src/bp-core/bp-core-buddybar.php
+++ src/bp-core/bp-core-buddybar.php
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ function bp_core_remove_subnav_item( $parent_slug, $slug, $component = null ) {
 	// Backward compatibility for removing group nav items using the group slug as `$parent_slug`.
 	if ( ! $component && bp_is_active( 'groups' ) && isset( $bp->groups->nav ) ) {
 		if ( $bp->groups->nav->get_primary( array( 'slug' => $parent_slug ) ) ) {
-			return bp_core_remove_subnav_item( $slug, $parent_slug, 'groups' );
+			$component = 'groups';
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git tests/phpunit/testcases/core/nav/bpCoreRemoveSubnavItem.php tests/phpunit/testcases/core/nav/bpCoreRemoveSubnavItem.php
index 1d87e1e..a91413a 100644
--- tests/phpunit/testcases/core/nav/bpCoreRemoveSubnavItem.php
+++ tests/phpunit/testcases/core/nav/bpCoreRemoveSubnavItem.php
@@ -70,4 +70,33 @@ class BP_Tests_Core_Nav_BpCoreRemoveSubnavItem extends BP_UnitTestCase {
 		$bp->bp_nav = $_bp_nav;
 		$bp->bp_options_nav = $_bp_options_nav;
 	}
+
+	public function test_backcompat_remove_group_nav_items() {
+		$g1 = $this->factory->group->create();
+
+		// In group context
+		$g_obj = groups_get_group( array( 'group_id' => $g1 ) );
+		$this->go_to( bp_get_group_permalink( $g_obj ) );
+
+		bp_core_new_subnav_item( array(
+			'name' => 'Clam',
+			'slug' => 'clam',
+			'parent_slug' => bp_get_current_group_slug(),
+			'parent_url' => bp_get_group_permalink( $g_obj ),
+			'screen_function' => 'clam_subnav',
+		) );
+
+		bp_core_remove_subnav_item( $g_obj->slug, 'clam' );
+
+		$nav = bp_get_nav_menu_items( 'groups' );
+		$found = false;
+		foreach ( $nav as $_nav ) {
+			if ( 'clam' === $_nav->css_id ) {
+				$found = true;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+
+		$this->assertFalse( $found );
+	}
 }