diff --git a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSLayerGroupEncoder.java b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSLayerGroupEncoder.java
index 09fb03c..5683887 100755
--- a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSLayerGroupEncoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSLayerGroupEncoder.java
@@ -61,9 +61,11 @@ public class GSLayerGroupEncoder extends PropertyXMLEncoder {
     }
     
     public void addLayer(String layer, String styleName) {
-        initPublishables("layers");
+        initPublishables("publishables");
+        Element e = elem("published", elem("name", layer));
+        e.setAttribute("type", "layer");
         
-        publishablesElem.addContent(elem("layer", elem("name", layer)));
+        publishablesElem.addContent(e);
         
         Element style = new Element("style");
         stylesElem.addContent(style);
@@ -72,6 +74,17 @@ public class GSLayerGroupEncoder extends PropertyXMLEncoder {
         }
     }
     
+    public void addLayerGroup(String layer) {
+        initPublishables("publishables");
+        Element e = elem("published", elem("name", layer));
+        e.setAttribute("type", "layerGroup"); 
+        
+        publishablesElem.addContent(e);
+        
+        Element style = new Element("style");
+        stylesElem.addContent(style);
+    }
+    
     public void setBounds(String crs, double minx, double maxx, double miny, double maxy) {
         boundsElem = elem("bounds", 
                 elem("minx", Double.toString(minx)),