Computer-readable media, methods, and systems are disclosed for managing group-level database encryption keys under group-level encryption in a database management system. Upon startup of the database management system, persisted database entries are sequentially processed to produce an in-memory data structure comprising a set of encryption group identifier metadata tuples having an encryption group identifier and a valid-from save point cycle version. The set of encryption group identifier metadata tuples is mapped to a set of key identifier tuples including a local secure store identifier and a group-level encryption key identifier. A set of group-level encryption keys is received from a key management system, according to which a group-level encryption key is mapped to each encryption group identifier metadata tuple. Finally, an in-memory representation of the mapping between the set of encryption group identifier metadata tuples, the set of key identifier tuples, and the set of group-level encryption keys is constructed.