diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/DCInputsReader.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/DCInputsReader.java
index ac8031880233..86b45c367941 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/DCInputsReader.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/DCInputsReader.java
@@ -316,6 +316,9 @@ public List<DCInputSet> getInputsByGroup(String formName)
 
         // cache miss - construct new DCInputSet
         List<List<Map<String, String>>> pages = formDefns.get(formName);
+        if (pages == null) {
+            return results;
+        }
 
         Iterator<List<Map<String, String>>> iterator = pages.iterator();
 
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.java
index 6e0800457397..cbc92c3be5f6 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 package org.dspace.content.authority;
 
+import static java.lang.Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.isNotBlank;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.dspace.app.util.DCInput;
 import org.dspace.app.util.DCInputSet;
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@
  * @see ChoiceAuthority
  */
 public final class ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl implements ChoiceAuthorityService {
-    private Logger log = org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getLogger(ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.class);
+    private Logger log = LogManager.getLogger(ChoiceAuthorityServiceImpl.class);
 
     // map of field key to authority plugin
     protected Map<String, ChoiceAuthority> controller = new HashMap<String, ChoiceAuthority>();
@@ -343,16 +345,26 @@ private void loadChoiceAuthorityConfigurations() {
      */
     private void autoRegisterChoiceAuthorityFromInputReader() {
         try {
-            List<SubmissionConfig> submissionConfigs = itemSubmissionConfigReader
-                    .getAllSubmissionConfigs(Integer.MAX_VALUE, 0);
+            List<SubmissionConfig> submissionConfigs = itemSubmissionConfigReader.getAllSubmissionConfigs(MAX_VALUE, 0);
             DCInputsReader dcInputsReader = new DCInputsReader();
 
             // loop over all the defined item submission configuration
             for (SubmissionConfig subCfg : submissionConfigs) {
                 String submissionName = subCfg.getSubmissionName();
                 List<DCInputSet> inputsBySubmissionName = dcInputsReader.getInputsBySubmissionName(submissionName);
-                autoRegisterChoiceAuthorityFromSubmissionForms(Constants.ITEM, submissionName,
-                        inputsBySubmissionName);
+                List<DCInputSet> inputsByGroupOfAllSteps = new ArrayList<DCInputSet>();
+                try {
+                    List<DCInputSet> inputsByGroup = dcInputsReader.getInputsByGroup(submissionName);
+                    inputsByGroupOfAllSteps.addAll(inputsByGroup);
+                    for (DCInputSet step : inputsBySubmissionName) {
+                        List<DCInputSet> inputsByGroupOfStep = dcInputsReader.getInputsByGroup(step.getFormName());
+                        inputsByGroupOfAllSteps.addAll(inputsByGroupOfStep);
+                    }
+                } catch (DCInputsReaderException e) {
+                    log.warn("Cannot load the groups of the submission: " + submissionName, e);
+                }
+                inputsBySubmissionName.addAll(inputsByGroupOfAllSteps);
+                autoRegisterChoiceAuthorityFromSubmissionForms(Constants.ITEM, submissionName, inputsBySubmissionName);
             }
             // loop over all the defined bitstream metadata submission configuration
             for (UploadConfiguration uploadCfg : uploadConfigurationService.getMap().values()) {
@@ -363,8 +375,7 @@ private void autoRegisterChoiceAuthorityFromInputReader() {
             }
         } catch (DCInputsReaderException e) {
             // the system is in an illegal state as the submission definition is not valid
-            throw new IllegalStateException("Error reading the item submission configuration: " + e.getMessage(),
-                    e);
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Error reading the item submission configuration: " + e.getMessage(), e);
         }
     }