diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/model/SystemScope.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/model/SystemScope.java
index 0807b160e8..83e84dfd13 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/model/SystemScope.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/model/SystemScope.java
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@
 @Table(name = "system_scope")
 @NamedQueries({
 	@NamedQuery(name = SystemScope.QUERY_ALL, query = "select s from SystemScope s ORDER BY s.id"),
-	@NamedQuery(name = SystemScope.QUERY_BY_VALUE, query = "select s from SystemScope s WHERE s.value = :" + SystemScope.PARAM_VALUE)
+	@NamedQuery(name = SystemScope.QUERY_BY_VALUE, query  = "select s from SystemScope s WHERE s.value = :" + SystemScope.PARAM_VALUE),
+	@NamedQuery(name = SystemScope.QUERY_BY_VALUES, query = "select s from SystemScope s WHERE s.value in :" + SystemScope.PARAM_VALUE)
 })
 public class SystemScope {
 
 	public static final String QUERY_BY_VALUE = "SystemScope.getByValue";
+	public static final String QUERY_BY_VALUES = "SystemScope.getByValues";
 	public static final String QUERY_ALL = "SystemScope.findAll";
 
 	public static final String PARAM_VALUE = "value";
diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/SystemScopeRepository.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/SystemScopeRepository.java
index 8c891d566d..dd41ace47a 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/SystemScopeRepository.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/SystemScopeRepository.java
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ public interface SystemScopeRepository {
 
 	public SystemScope getByValue(String value);
 
+	public Set<SystemScope> getByValues(Set<String> values);
+
 	public void remove(SystemScope scope);
 
 	public SystemScope save(SystemScope scope);
diff --git a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/impl/JpaSystemScopeRepository.java b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/impl/JpaSystemScopeRepository.java
index f646b57243..ad0d2da47e 100644
--- a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/impl/JpaSystemScopeRepository.java
+++ b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/repository/impl/JpaSystemScopeRepository.java
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 import static org.mitre.util.jpa.JpaUtil.getSingleResult;
 import static org.mitre.util.jpa.JpaUtil.saveOrUpdate;
 
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -76,6 +78,17 @@ public SystemScope getByValue(String value) {
 		return getSingleResult(query.getResultList());
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public Set<SystemScope> getByValues(Set<String> values) {
+		if(values.isEmpty()) {
+			return Collections.emptySet();
+		}
+
+		TypedQuery<SystemScope> query = em.createNamedQuery(SystemScope.QUERY_BY_VALUES, SystemScope.class);
+		query.setParameter(SystemScope.PARAM_VALUE, values);
+		return new HashSet<>(query.getResultList());
+	}
+
 	/* (non-Javadoc)
 	 * @see org.mitre.oauth2.repository.SystemScopeRepository#remove(org.mitre.oauth2.model.SystemScope)
 	 */
diff --git a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/service/impl/DefaultSystemScopeService.java b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/service/impl/DefaultSystemScopeService.java
index 21474fe6e0..d5182de93a 100644
--- a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/service/impl/DefaultSystemScopeService.java
+++ b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/oauth2/service/impl/DefaultSystemScopeService.java
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@
  */
 package org.mitre.oauth2.service.impl;
 
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.mitre.oauth2.model.SystemScope;
 import org.mitre.oauth2.repository.SystemScopeRepository;
@@ -32,7 +35,6 @@
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicates;
-import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.collect.Collections2;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 
@@ -67,24 +69,6 @@ public boolean apply(SystemScope input) {
 		}
 	};
 
-	private Function<String, SystemScope> stringToSystemScope = new Function<String, SystemScope>() {
-		@Override
-		public SystemScope apply(String input) {
-			if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(input)) {
-				return null;
-			} else {
-				// get the real scope if it's available
-				SystemScope s = getByValue(input);
-				if (s == null) {
-					// make a fake one otherwise
-					s = new SystemScope(input);
-				}
-
-				return s;
-			}
-		}
-	};
-
 	private Function<SystemScope, String> systemScopeToString = new Function<SystemScope, String>() {
 		@Override
 		public String apply(SystemScope input) {
@@ -120,6 +104,10 @@ public SystemScope getByValue(String value) {
 		return repository.getByValue(value);
 	}
 
+	private Set<SystemScope> getByValues(Set<String> values) {
+		return repository.getByValues(values);
+	}
+
 	/* (non-Javadoc)
 	 * @see org.mitre.oauth2.service.SystemScopeService#remove(org.mitre.oauth2.model.SystemScope)
 	 */
@@ -149,7 +137,19 @@ public Set<SystemScope> fromStrings(Set<String> scope) {
 		if (scope == null) {
 			return null;
 		} else {
-			return new LinkedHashSet<>(Collections2.filter(Collections2.transform(scope, stringToSystemScope), Predicates.notNull()));
+			Set<String> scopeValues = scope.stream().filter(Objects::nonNull).collect(Collectors.toSet());
+			Set<SystemScope> scopesFromDB = getByValues(scopeValues);
+			Set<String> scopesFromDBValues = scopesFromDB.stream().map(SystemScope::getValue).collect(Collectors.toSet());
+			Set<SystemScope> missingScopesFromDB = scopeValues
+					.stream()
+					.filter(sv -> !scopesFromDBValues.contains(sv))
+					.map(sv -> new SystemScope(sv))
+					.collect(Collectors.toSet());
+
+			Set<SystemScope> allScopes = new HashSet<SystemScope>();
+			allScopes.addAll(scopesFromDB);
+			allScopes.addAll(missingScopesFromDB);
+			return allScopes;
 		}
 	}