diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/GroupCountryField.php b/app/Console/Commands/GroupCountryField.php
index 97a044518d..7d0cffc931 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/GroupCountryField.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/GroupCountryField.php
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 namespace App\Console\Commands;
 
 use App\Group;
-use App\Helpers\Fixometer;
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
 
 class GroupCountryField extends Command
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ public function handle(): void
         $groups = Group::all();
 
         foreach ($groups as $group) {
-            $group->country = Fixometer::getCountryFromCountryCode($group->country_code);
+            $group->country = Group::countryNameForCode($group->country_code);
             $group->save();
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/Group.php b/app/Group.php
index 1a2dbebb32..097de77cf5 100644
--- a/app/Group.php
+++ b/app/Group.php
@@ -148,6 +148,32 @@ public function toArray()
 
     // Setters
 
+    /**
+     * Keep the legacy `country` column in step with `country_code`.  `country` is still read by external
+     * consumers (e.g. ORA exports, direct DB reporting) so it must be populated as soon as the group is saved,
+     * rather than waiting for the hourly groups:country job.  Countries are stored in English.
+     */
+    public function setCountryCodeAttribute($value)
+    {
+        $this->attributes['country_code'] = $value;
+        $this->attributes['country'] = self::countryNameForCode($value);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The English country name stored in the legacy `country` column; '' for an empty or unknown code.  Group
+     * imports have used 'UK' for the United Kingdom, which isn't an ISO code.
+     */
+    public static function countryNameForCode($code): string
+    {
+        if (! $code) {
+            return '';
+        }
+
+        $code = strtoupper($code) === 'UK' ? 'GB' : $code;
+
+        return \App\Helpers\Fixometer::getAllCountries('en')[$code] ?? '';
+    }
+
     //Getters
     public function findAll()
     {
diff --git a/database/migrations/2026_09_23_000000_backfill_group_country_from_country_code.php b/database/migrations/2026_09_23_000000_backfill_group_country_from_country_code.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..10be9b9108
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2026_09_23_000000_backfill_group_country_from_country_code.php
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Group;
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        // Groups created since country_code was introduced only had `country` filled in by the hourly
+        // groups:country job, and recent groups were found with it empty.  The Group model now sets it on
+        // save; backfill any existing gaps here.  Query builder rather than models so no audit rows or
+        // update listeners (WordPress/Discourse sync) fire.  Countries are stored in English.
+        $groups = DB::table('groups')
+            ->whereNotNull('country_code')
+            ->where(function ($q) {
+                $q->whereNull('country')->orWhere('country', '');
+            })
+            ->get(['idgroups', 'country_code']);
+
+        foreach ($groups as $group) {
+            $country = Group::countryNameForCode($group->country_code);
+
+            if ($country !== '') {
+                DB::table('groups')->where('idgroups', $group->idgroups)->update(['country' => $country]);
+            } else {
+                Log::warning("Group {$group->idgroups}: no country name for code '{$group->country_code}'");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function down(): void
+    {
+        // Data-only backfill; nothing to undo.
+    }
+};
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Groups/GroupCountryTest.php b/tests/Feature/Groups/GroupCountryTest.php
index 1394b6ee6a..f607aa994b 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Groups/GroupCountryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Groups/GroupCountryTest.php
@@ -29,4 +29,28 @@ public function testSync(): void {
         $group = Group::find($group->idgroups);
         $this->assertEquals('United Kingdom', $group->country);
     }
+
+    public function testCountrySetOnSaveWithoutJob(): void {
+        // fr-BE has its own country names (e.g. 'Belgique'); the stored value must still be English.
+        app()->setLocale('fr-BE');
+
+        $group = Group::factory()->create(['country_code' => 'BE']);
+        $this->assertEquals('Belgium', Group::find($group->idgroups)->country);
+
+        $group->country_code = 'GB';
+        $group->save();
+        $this->assertEquals('United Kingdom', Group::find($group->idgroups)->country);
+    }
+
+    public function testUnknownAndLegacyCodes(): void {
+        $this->assertEquals('United Kingdom', Group::countryNameForCode('UK'));
+        $this->assertEquals('', Group::countryNameForCode('ZZ'));
+        $this->assertEquals('', Group::countryNameForCode(null));
+
+        // The model and the hourly job agree, so the column doesn't flip between values.
+        $group = Group::factory()->create(['country_code' => 'ZZ']);
+        $this->assertEquals('', Group::find($group->idgroups)->country);
+        $this->artisan('groups:country');
+        $this->assertEquals('', Group::find($group->idgroups)->country);
+    }
 }