diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender_version.h b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender_version.h
index 60bd56c0050..b79ce55ab53 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender_version.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_blender_version.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 /* Blender file format version. */
 #define BLENDER_FILE_VERSION BLENDER_VERSION
-#define BLENDER_FILE_SUBVERSION 13
+#define BLENDER_FILE_SUBVERSION 14
 
 /* Minimum Blender version that supports reading file written with the current
  * version. Older Blender versions will test this and cancel loading the file, showing a warning to
diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/versioning_400.cc b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/versioning_400.cc
index 2e1dde10132..6cecf33fe01 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/intern/versioning_400.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/intern/versioning_400.cc
@@ -3290,6 +3290,39 @@ static void version_node_locations_to_global(bNodeTree &ntree)
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Clear unnecessary pointers to data blocks on output sockets group input nodes.
+ * These values should never have been set in the first place. They are not harmful on their own,
+ * but can pull in additional data-blocks when the node group is linked/appended.
+ */
+static void version_group_input_socket_data_block_reference(bNodeTree &ntree)
+{
+  LISTBASE_FOREACH (bNode *, node, &ntree.nodes) {
+    if (node->type != NODE_GROUP_INPUT) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    LISTBASE_FOREACH (bNodeSocket *, socket, &node->outputs) {
+      switch (socket->type) {
+        case SOCK_OBJECT:
+          socket->default_value_typed<bNodeSocketValueObject>()->value = nullptr;
+          break;
+        case SOCK_IMAGE:
+          socket->default_value_typed<bNodeSocketValueImage>()->value = nullptr;
+          break;
+        case SOCK_COLLECTION:
+          socket->default_value_typed<bNodeSocketValueCollection>()->value = nullptr;
+          break;
+        case SOCK_TEXTURE:
+          socket->default_value_typed<bNodeSocketValueTexture>()->value = nullptr;
+          break;
+        case SOCK_MATERIAL:
+          socket->default_value_typed<bNodeSocketValueMaterial>()->value = nullptr;
+          break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void blo_do_versions_400(FileData *fd, Library * /*lib*/, Main *bmain)
 {
   if (!MAIN_VERSION_FILE_ATLEAST(bmain, 400, 1)) {
@@ -5265,6 +5298,12 @@ void blo_do_versions_400(FileData *fd, Library * /*lib*/, Main *bmain)
     }
   }
 
+  if (!MAIN_VERSION_FILE_ATLEAST(bmain, 404, 14)) {
+    LISTBASE_FOREACH (bNodeTree *, ntree, &bmain->nodetrees) {
+      version_group_input_socket_data_block_reference(*ntree);
+    }
+  }
+
   /* Always run this versioning; meshes are written with the legacy format which always needs to
    * be converted to the new format on file load. Can be moved to a subversion check in a larger
    * breaking release. */