diff --git a/src/zarr/api/asynchronous.py b/src/zarr/api/asynchronous.py
index 94ecfee4d6..965efbbc76 100644
--- a/src/zarr/api/asynchronous.py
+++ b/src/zarr/api/asynchronous.py
@@ -317,10 +317,11 @@ async def open(
 
     try:
         return await open_array(store=store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format, mode=mode, **kwargs)
-    except (KeyError, NodeTypeValidationError):
+    except (KeyError, NodeTypeValidationError, FileNotFoundError):
         # KeyError for a missing key
         # NodeTypeValidationError for failing to parse node metadata as an array when it's
         # actually a group
+        # FileNotFoundError for v2 when opening a group
         return await open_group(store=store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format, mode=mode, **kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_v2.py b/tests/test_v2.py
index 94aa513ce8..8d036829ef 100644
--- a/tests/test_v2.py
+++ b/tests/test_v2.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import zarr
 import zarr.storage
 from zarr import Array
-from zarr.storage import MemoryStore, StorePath
+from zarr.storage import LocalStore, MemoryStore, StorePath
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ def test_simple(store: StorePath) -> None:
     assert np.array_equal(data, a[:, :])
 
 
+def test_simple_group(tmp_path) -> None:
+    store = LocalStore(tmp_path, mode="w")
+    zarr.group(store=store, zarr_format=2)
+    root_group = zarr.open(tmp_path, zarr_format=2)
+    assert root_group is not None
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("dtype", "fill_value"),
     [