diff --git a/src/group.rs b/src/group.rs
index cb944ace..fb3e3926 100644
--- a/src/group.rs
+++ b/src/group.rs
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 
 use crate::{
     metadata::{
-        group_metadata_v2_to_v3, v3::UnsupportedAdditionalFieldError, AdditionalFields,
-        GroupMetadataV2, MetadataConvertVersion, MetadataEraseVersion, MetadataRetrieveVersion,
+        group_metadata_v2_to_v3,
+        v3::{group::ConsolidatedMetadata, UnsupportedAdditionalFieldError},
+        AdditionalFields, GroupMetadataV2, MetadataConvertVersion, MetadataEraseVersion,
+        MetadataRetrieveVersion,
     },
     node::{NodePath, NodePathError},
     storage::{
@@ -145,6 +147,30 @@ impl<TStorage: ?Sized> Group<TStorage> {
             (GM::V2(metadata), V::V3) => GM::V3(group_metadata_v2_to_v3(&metadata)),
         }
     }
+
+    /// Get the consolidated metadata. Returns [`None`] if `consolidated_metadata` is absent.
+    ///
+    /// Consolidated metadata is not currently supported for Zarr V2 groups.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn consolidated_metadata(&self) -> Option<&ConsolidatedMetadata> {
+        if let GroupMetadata::V3(group_metadata) = &self.metadata {
+            group_metadata.consolidated_metadata.as_ref()
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Set the consolidated metadata.
+    ///
+    /// Consolidated metadata is not currently supported for Zarr V2 groups, and this function is a no-op.
+    pub fn set_consolidated_metadata(
+        &mut self,
+        consolidated_metadata: Option<ConsolidatedMetadata>,
+    ) {
+        if let GroupMetadata::V3(group_metadata) = &mut self.metadata {
+            group_metadata.consolidated_metadata = consolidated_metadata;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl<TStorage: ?Sized + ReadableStorageTraits> Group<TStorage> {
diff --git a/src/metadata/v3/group.rs b/src/metadata/v3/group.rs
index 4f879a1a..5f6d549a 100644
--- a/src/metadata/v3/group.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/v3/group.rs
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ pub struct GroupMetadataV3 {
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "serde_json::Map::is_empty")]
     pub attributes: serde_json::Map<String, serde_json::Value>,
     /// Consolidated metadata.
-    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "ConsolidatedMetadata::is_empty")]
-    pub consolidated_metadata: ConsolidatedMetadata,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub consolidated_metadata: Option<ConsolidatedMetadata>,
     /// Additional fields.
     #[serde(flatten)]
     pub additional_fields: AdditionalFields,
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl GroupMetadataV3 {
             node_type: monostate::MustBe!("group"),
             attributes,
             additional_fields,
-            consolidated_metadata: ConsolidatedMetadata::default(),
+            consolidated_metadata: None,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -88,13 +88,6 @@ impl Default for ConsolidatedMetadata {
     }
 }
 
-impl ConsolidatedMetadata {
-    #[must_use]
-    fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.metadata.is_empty()
-    }
-}
-
 /// The "kind" of consolidated metadata.
 #[non_exhaustive]
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, Eq, PartialEq, Debug, Display)]
@@ -137,6 +130,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(
             group_metadata
                 .consolidated_metadata
+                .unwrap()
                 .metadata
                 .get(&NodePath::new("/subgroup").unwrap())
                 .unwrap(),
diff --git a/tests/hierarchy.rs b/tests/hierarchy.rs
index 75ebc1eb..8bb32e3d 100644
--- a/tests/hierarchy.rs
+++ b/tests/hierarchy.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use zarrs::{
+    group::Group,
+    metadata::v3::group::ConsolidatedMetadata,
     node::{Node, NodePath},
     storage::store::FilesystemStore,
 };
@@ -43,4 +45,12 @@ fn consolidated_metadata() {
         let actual = Node::open(&store, node_path).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(consolidated, actual.metadata());
     }
+
+    let mut group = Group::open(store, "/").unwrap();
+    assert!(group.consolidated_metadata().is_none());
+    group.set_consolidated_metadata(Some(ConsolidatedMetadata {
+        metadata: consolidated_metadata,
+        ..Default::default()
+    }));
+    assert!(group.consolidated_metadata().is_some());
 }