diff --git a/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/actions/NextUnseenGroup.java b/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/actions/NextUnseenGroup.java
index 336b91471c..24eb31fcea 100644
--- a/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/actions/NextUnseenGroup.java
+++ b/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/actions/NextUnseenGroup.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * Autopsy Forensic Browser
  *
- * Copyright 2011-17 Basis Technology Corp.
+ * Copyright 2011-18 Basis Technology Corp.
  * Contact: carrier <at> sleuthkit <dot> org
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 package org.sleuthkit.autopsy.imagegallery.actions;
 
 import java.util.Optional;
+import javafx.application.Platform;
 import javafx.beans.Observable;
 import javafx.beans.value.ObservableValue;
 import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
@@ -41,52 +42,57 @@ import org.sleuthkit.autopsy.imagegallery.datamodel.grouping.GroupViewState;
 public class NextUnseenGroup extends Action {
 
     private static final String IMAGE_PATH = "/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/images/"; //NON-NLS
-    private static final Image END = new Image(NextUnseenGroup.class.getResourceAsStream(
+    private static final Image END_IMAGE = new Image(NextUnseenGroup.class.getResourceAsStream(
             IMAGE_PATH + "control-stop.png")); //NON-NLS
-    private static final Image ADVANCE = new Image(NextUnseenGroup.class.getResourceAsStream(
+    private static final Image ADVANCE_IMAGE = new Image(NextUnseenGroup.class.getResourceAsStream(
             IMAGE_PATH + "control-double.png")); //NON-NLS
 
     private static final String MARK_GROUP_SEEN = Bundle.NextUnseenGroup_markGroupSeen();
     private static final String NEXT_UNSEEN_GROUP = Bundle.NextUnseenGroup_nextUnseenGroup();
 
+    private final ImageGalleryController controller;
+    private final ObservableList<DrawableGroup> unSeenGroups;
+
     public NextUnseenGroup(ImageGalleryController controller) {
         super(NEXT_UNSEEN_GROUP);
+        setGraphic(new ImageView(ADVANCE_IMAGE));
+
+        this.controller = controller;
         GroupManager groupManager = controller.getGroupManager();
+        unSeenGroups = groupManager.getUnSeenGroups();
+        unSeenGroups.addListener((Observable observable) -> this.updateButton());
 
-        ObservableList<DrawableGroup> unSeenGroups = groupManager.getUnSeenGroups();
-        setGraphic(new ImageView(ADVANCE));
-
-        unSeenGroups.addListener((Observable o) -> this.updateButton(unSeenGroups));
-
-        setEventHandler(event -> {
-            //fx-thread
+        setEventHandler(event -> {    //on fx-thread
             //if there is a group assigned to the view, mark it as seen
             Optional.ofNullable(controller.viewState())
                     .map(ObservableValue<GroupViewState>::getValue)
                     .map(GroupViewState::getGroup)
-                    .ifPresent(group -> groupManager.saveGroupSeen(group, true));
+                    .ifPresent(group -> {
+                        groupManager.saveGroupSeen(group, true)
+                                .addListener(this::advanceToNextUnseenGroup, Platform::runLater);
+                    });
 
-            if (unSeenGroups.isEmpty() == false) {
-                controller.advance(GroupViewState.tile(unSeenGroups.get(0)), true);
-                updateButton(unSeenGroups);
-            }
         });
-        updateButton(unSeenGroups);
+        updateButton();
     }
 
-    /**
-     *
-     * @param unSeenGroups the value of unSeenGroups
-     */
     @ThreadConfined(type = ThreadConfined.ThreadType.JFX)
-    private void updateButton(ObservableList<DrawableGroup> unSeenGroups) {
+    private void advanceToNextUnseenGroup() {
+        if (unSeenGroups.isEmpty() == false) {
+            controller.advance(GroupViewState.tile(unSeenGroups.get(0)), true);
+        }
+        updateButton();
+    }
+
+    @ThreadConfined(type = ThreadConfined.ThreadType.JFX)
+    private void updateButton() {
         setDisabled(unSeenGroups.isEmpty());
         if (unSeenGroups.size() <= 1) {
             setText(MARK_GROUP_SEEN);
-            setGraphic(new ImageView(END));
+            setGraphic(new ImageView(END_IMAGE));
         } else {
             setText(NEXT_UNSEEN_GROUP);
-            setGraphic(new ImageView(ADVANCE));
+            setGraphic(new ImageView(ADVANCE_IMAGE));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/datamodel/grouping/GroupManager.java b/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/datamodel/grouping/GroupManager.java
index 146f613ccf..cc65732917 100644
--- a/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/datamodel/grouping/GroupManager.java
+++ b/ImageGallery/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/imagegallery/datamodel/grouping/GroupManager.java
@@ -286,20 +286,19 @@ public class GroupManager {
      *         DB.
      */
     public ListenableFuture<?> saveGroupSeen(DrawableGroup group, boolean seen) {
-        synchronized (controller) {
-            DrawableDB db = getDB();
-            if (nonNull(db)) {
-                return exec.submit(() -> {
-                    try {
-                        db.markGroupSeen(group.getGroupKey(), seen);
-                        group.setSeen(seen);
-
-                    } catch (TskCoreException ex) {
-                        logger.log(Level.SEVERE, "Error marking group as seen", ex); //NON-NLS
-                    }
-                });
-            }
+        DrawableDB db = getDB();
+        if (nonNull(db)) {
+            return exec.submit(() -> {
+                try {
+                    db.markGroupSeen(group.getGroupKey(), seen);
+                    group.setSeen(seen);
+                    Platform.runLater(() -> updateUnSeenGroups(group, seen));
+                } catch (TskCoreException ex) {
+                    logger.log(Level.SEVERE, "Error marking group as seen", ex); //NON-NLS
+                }
+            });
         }
+
         return Futures.immediateFuture(null);
     }
 
@@ -659,9 +658,7 @@ public class GroupManager {
                                 group = new DrawableGroup(groupKey, fileIDs, groupSeen);
                                 controller.getCategoryManager().registerListener(group);
                                 group.seenProperty().addListener((o, oldSeen, newSeen)
-                                        -> saveGroupSeen(group, newSeen)
-                                                .addListener(() -> updateUnSeenGroups(group, newSeen),
-                                                        Platform::runLater));
+                                        -> saveGroupSeen(group, newSeen));
 
                                 groupMap.put(groupKey, group);
                             }
@@ -857,7 +854,6 @@ public class GroupManager {
                     default:
                         //otherwise do straight db query 
                         if (nonNull(db)) {
-                            //TODO -1017:  pass datasource in here as appropriate
                             values = db.findValuesForAttribute(groupBy, sortBy, sortOrder, dataSource);
                         }
                 }