diff --git a/group-coordinator/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/coordinator/group/GroupMetadataManager.java b/group-coordinator/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/coordinator/group/GroupMetadataManager.java
index 35d8fa11d56..2d5fd1e3288 100644
--- a/group-coordinator/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/coordinator/group/GroupMetadataManager.java
+++ b/group-coordinator/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/coordinator/group/GroupMetadataManager.java
@@ -671,7 +671,10 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
             throw new GroupIdNotFoundException(String.format("Consumer group %s not found.", groupId));
         }
 
-        if (group == null || (createIfNotExists && maybeDeleteEmptyClassicGroup(group, records))) {
+        if (group == null) {
+            return new ConsumerGroup(snapshotRegistry, groupId, metrics);
+        } else if (createIfNotExists && maybeDeleteEmptyClassicGroup(group, records)) {
+            log.info("[GroupId {}] Converted the empty classic group to a consumer group.", groupId);
             return new ConsumerGroup(snapshotRegistry, groupId, metrics);
         } else {
             if (group.type() == CONSUMER) {
@@ -1037,6 +1040,8 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
         if (joiningMember == null) {
             prepareRebalance(classicGroup, String.format("Downgrade group %s from consumer to classic.", classicGroup.groupId()));
         }
+
+        log.info("[GroupId {}] Converted the consumer group to a classic group.", consumerGroup.groupId());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1117,6 +1122,8 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
             scheduleConsumerGroupSessionTimeout(consumerGroup.groupId(), memberId, member.classicProtocolSessionTimeout().get())
         );
 
+        log.info("[GroupId {}] Converted the classic group to a consumer group.", classicGroup.groupId());
+
         return consumerGroup;
     }
 
@@ -4379,7 +4386,9 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
         // Group is created if it does not exist and the member id is UNKNOWN. if member
         // is specified but group does not exist, request is rejected with GROUP_ID_NOT_FOUND
         ClassicGroup group;
-        maybeDeleteEmptyConsumerGroup(groupId, records);
+        if (maybeDeleteEmptyConsumerGroup(groupId, records)) {
+            log.info("[GroupId {}] Converted the empty consumer group to a classic group.", groupId);
+        }
         boolean isNewGroup = !groups.containsKey(groupId);
         try {
             group = getOrMaybeCreateClassicGroup(groupId, isUnknownMember);
@@ -6324,7 +6333,7 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
      * @param group     The group to be deleted.
      * @param records   The list of records to delete the group.
      *
-     * @return true if the group is empty
+     * @return true if the group is an empty classic group.
      */
     private boolean maybeDeleteEmptyClassicGroup(Group group, List<CoordinatorRecord> records) {
         if (isEmptyClassicGroup(group)) {
@@ -6341,15 +6350,19 @@ public class GroupMetadataManager {
      *
      * @param groupId The group id to be deleted.
      * @param records The list of records to delete the group.
+     *
+     * @return true if the group is an empty consumer group.
      */
-    private void maybeDeleteEmptyConsumerGroup(String groupId, List<CoordinatorRecord> records) {
+    private boolean maybeDeleteEmptyConsumerGroup(String groupId, List<CoordinatorRecord> records) {
         Group group = groups.get(groupId, Long.MAX_VALUE);
         if (isEmptyConsumerGroup(group)) {
             // Add tombstones for the previous consumer group. The tombstones won't actually be
             // replayed because its coordinator result has a non-null appendFuture.
             createGroupTombstoneRecords(group, records);
             removeGroup(groupId);
+            return true;
         }
+        return false;
     }
 
     /**