diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index f0c2629..947b465 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 ## Bug fixes
   
-  
+- `compare_means()`: works now when the grouping variable levels contain the key words group2 or group1 (#450)
 
 # ggpubr 0.5.0
 
diff --git a/R/compare_means.R b/R/compare_means.R
index 291500f..150f29a 100644
--- a/R/compare_means.R
+++ b/R/compare_means.R
@@ -338,11 +338,11 @@ compare_means <- function(formula, data, method = "wilcox.test",
 
   pvalues <- suppressWarnings(do.call(test, test.opts)$p.value) %>%
     as.data.frame()
-  group1 <- group2 <- p <- NULL
-  pvalues$group2 <- rownames(pvalues)
+  ..group1.. <- ..group2.. <- p <- NULL
+  pvalues$..group2.. <- rownames(pvalues)
   pvalues <- pvalues %>%
-    tidyr::gather(key = "group1", value = "p", -group2) %>%
-    dplyr::select(group1, group2, p) %>%
+    tidyr::gather(key = "..group1..", value = "p", -..group2..) %>%
+    dplyr::select(group1 = ..group1.., group2 = ..group2.., p) %>%
     dplyr::filter(!is.na(p))
   pvalues
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-compare_means.R b/tests/testthat/test-compare_means.R
index 5008460..5c23d1c 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-compare_means.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-compare_means.R
@@ -124,3 +124,34 @@ test_that("compare_means works for kruskal.test", {
   expect_equal(results, expected)
 })
 
+
+test_that("compare_means works when grouping variable levels contain group2", {
+  tibble::tribble(
+    ~val,    ~gp,  ~by,
+    923 , 'group4','V1',
+    1252, 'group4','V1',
+    1442, 'group4','V1',
+    1398, 'group2','V1',
+    1858, 'group2','V1',
+    1330, 'group2','V1',
+    2593, 'group2','V1',
+    23 ,  'group4','V2',
+    252,  'group4','V2',
+    442,  'group4','V2',
+    398,  'group2','V2',
+    858,  'group2','V2',
+    330,  'group2','V2',
+    593,  'group2','V2'
+  ) %>% dplyr::mutate(gp=factor(gp, levels = c('group2','group4'))) -> dat
+
+  results <- compare_means(val ~ gp, data = dat, group.by = 'by', paired = F)
+  results <- results %>%
+    dplyr::select(.y., group1, group2, p.format, p.signif, method)
+  expected <- tibble::tribble(
+      ~.y.,  ~group1,  ~group2, ~p.format, ~p.signif,    ~method,
+     "val", "group2", "group4",    "0.23",      "ns", "Wilcoxon",
+     "val", "group2", "group4",    "0.23",      "ns", "Wilcoxon"
+     )
+  expect_equal(results, expected)
+})
+