diff --git a/cypress/fixtures/flows/dashboard-layouts.json b/cypress/fixtures/flows/dashboard-layouts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..45b6f6173
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cypress/fixtures/flows/dashboard-layouts.json
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+[
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-base",
+        "type": "ui-base",
+        "name": "UI Name",
+        "path": "/dashboard",
+        "includeClientData": true,
+        "acceptsClientConfig": [
+            "ui-notification",
+            "ui-control"
+        ]
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-page-grid",
+        "type": "ui-page",
+        "name": "Layout: Grid",
+        "ui": "dashboard-ui-base",
+        "path": "/grid",
+        "icon": "",
+        "layout": "grid",
+        "theme": "dashboard-ui-theme",
+        "order": 2,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": false
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-page-fixed",
+        "type": "ui-page",
+        "name": "Layout: Fixed",
+        "ui": "dashboard-ui-base",
+        "path": "/fixed",
+        "icon": "",
+        "layout": "flex",
+        "theme": "dashboard-ui-theme",
+        "order": 1,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": false
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-page-notebook",
+        "type": "ui-page",
+        "name": "Layout: Notebook",
+        "ui": "dashboard-ui-base",
+        "path": "/notebook",
+        "icon": "",
+        "layout": "notebook",
+        "theme": "dashboard-ui-theme",
+        "order": 1,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": false
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-theme",
+        "type": "ui-theme",
+        "name": "Theme Name",
+        "colors": {
+            "surface": "#ffffff",
+            "primary": "#0094ce",
+            "bgPage": "#eeeeee",
+            "groupBg": "#ffffff",
+            "groupOutline": "#cccccc"
+        }
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-grid1",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 1",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-grid",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 1,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-grid2",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 2",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-grid",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 2,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-grid3",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 3",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-grid",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 3,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-fixed1",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 1",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-fixed",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 1,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-fixed2",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 2",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-fixed",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 2,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-fixed3",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 3",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-fixed",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 3,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-notebook1",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 1",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-notebook",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 1,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-notebook3",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 3",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-notebook",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 3,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    },
+    {
+        "id": "dashboard-ui-group-notebook2",
+        "type": "ui-group",
+        "name": "Order 2",
+        "page": "dashboard-ui-page-notebook",
+        "width": "6",
+        "height": "1",
+        "order": 2,
+        "showTitle": true,
+        "className": "",
+        "visible": "true",
+        "disabled": "false"
+    }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cypress/tests/layouts.spec.js b/cypress/tests/layouts.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a327c33d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cypress/tests/layouts.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// test admin rights & access in FlowForge
+
+describe('Node-RED Dashboard 2.0 - Layout: Grid', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        cy.deployFixture('dashboard-layouts')
+        cy.visit('/dashboard/grid')
+    })
+
+    it('should render groups in the correct order', () => {
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').should('have.length', 3)
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(0).should('have.text', 'Order 1')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(1).should('have.text', 'Order 2')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(2).should('have.text', 'Order 3')
+    })
+})
+describe('Node-RED Dashboard 2.0 - Layout: Fixed', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        cy.deployFixture('dashboard-layouts')
+        cy.visit('/dashboard/fixed')
+    })
+
+    it('should render groups in the correct order', () => {
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').should('have.length', 3)
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(0).should('have.text', 'Order 1')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(1).should('have.text', 'Order 2')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(2).should('have.text', 'Order 3')
+    })
+})
+describe('Node-RED Dashboard 2.0 - Layout: Notebook', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        cy.deployFixture('dashboard-layouts')
+        cy.visit('/dashboard/notebook')
+    })
+
+    it('should render groups in the correct order', () => {
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').should('have.length', 3)
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(0).should('have.text', 'Order 1')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(1).should('have.text', 'Order 2')
+        cy.get('.nrdb-ui-group').eq(2).should('have.text', 'Order 3')
+    })
+})
diff --git a/nodes/config/ui_base.html b/nodes/config/ui_base.html
index 57deee8d0..efef6a551 100644
--- a/nodes/config/ui_base.html
+++ b/nodes/config/ui_base.html
@@ -903,6 +903,9 @@
      * @param {DashboardItemLookup} widgetsByGroup - The lookup of widgets by group
      */
     function addGroupOrderingList (pageId, container, groups, widgetsByGroup) {
+        // sort groups by order
+        groups.sort((a, b) => a.order - b.order)
+
         // ordered list of groups to live within a container (e.g. page list item)
         const groupsOL = $('<ol>', { class: 'nrdb2-sb-group-list' }).appendTo(container).editableList({
             sortable: '.nrdb2-sb-groups-list-header',
@@ -936,6 +939,11 @@
                 titleRow.click(titleToggle(group.id, widgetsList, chevron))
 
                 addWidgetToList(group.id, widgetsList, widgets)
+
+                const events = []
+                updateItemOrder(groupsOL.editableList('items'), events)
+                // add our changes to NR history and trigger whether or not we need to redeploy
+                recordEvents(events)
             },
             sortItems: function (items) {
                 // track any changes
diff --git a/ui/src/layouts/Flex.vue b/ui/src/layouts/Flex.vue
index f7de7b99f..e96273b86 100644
--- a/ui/src/layouts/Flex.vue
+++ b/ui/src/layouts/Flex.vue
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ export default {
                     }
                     return true
                 })
+                .sort((a, b) => {
+                    return a.order - b.order
+                })
             return groups
         },
         pageWidgets: function () {
diff --git a/ui/src/layouts/Grid.vue b/ui/src/layouts/Grid.vue
index 363ab8fba..1aa5065a4 100644
--- a/ui/src/layouts/Grid.vue
+++ b/ui/src/layouts/Grid.vue
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ export default {
                     }
                     return true
                 })
+                .sort((a, b) => {
+                    return a.order - b.order
+                })
             return groups
         },
         pageWidgets: function () {
diff --git a/ui/src/layouts/Notebook.vue b/ui/src/layouts/Notebook.vue
index 1af66fc1d..15875500b 100644
--- a/ui/src/layouts/Notebook.vue
+++ b/ui/src/layouts/Notebook.vue
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ export default {
                     }
                     return true
                 })
+                .sort((a, b) => {
+                    return a.order - b.order
+                })
             return groups
         },
         pageWidgets: function () {