diff --git a/src/c3nav/control/forms.py b/src/c3nav/control/forms.py
index 1b3a87f3..e57f34d3 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/control/forms.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/control/forms.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ from c3nav.mapdata.models.access import (AccessPermission, AccessPermissionToken
                                          AccessRestriction, AccessRestrictionGroup)
 from c3nav.mesh.messages import MeshMessageType
 from c3nav.mesh.models import MeshNode
+from c3nav.mesh.utils import group_msg_type_choices
 from c3nav.site.models import Announcement
 
 
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ class MapUpdateForm(ModelForm):
 
 class MeshMessageFilterForm(Form):
     message_types = MultipleChoiceField(
-        choices=[(msgtype.value, msgtype.name) for msgtype in MeshMessageType],
+        choices=group_msg_type_choices(list(MeshMessageType)),
         required=False,
         label=_('message types'),
     )
diff --git a/src/c3nav/control/templates/control/mesh_nodes.html b/src/c3nav/control/templates/control/mesh_nodes.html
index cc67c10f..31b4bda9 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/control/templates/control/mesh_nodes.html
+++ b/src/c3nav/control/templates/control/mesh_nodes.html
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@
                 {% csrf_token %}
                 <select name="send_msg_type" style="display: inline-block; width: auto;" required>
                     <option value="">select type</option>
-                    {% for msg_type in send_msg_types %}
-                        <option value="{{ msg_type.name }}">{{ msg_type.pretty_name }}</option>
+                    {% for category, msg_types in send_msg_types %}
+                        <optgroup label="{{ category }}">
+                            {% for value, label in msg_types %}
+                                <option value="{{ value }}">{{ label }}</option>
+                            {% endfor %}
+                        </optgroup>
                     {% endfor %}
                 </select>
                 <button type="submit">{% trans 'Send message' %}</button>
diff --git a/src/c3nav/control/views/mesh.py b/src/c3nav/control/views/mesh.py
index 76bbe5d9..2870085c 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/control/views/mesh.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/control/views/mesh.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from c3nav.control.views.base import ControlPanelMixin
 from c3nav.mesh.forms import MeshMessageForm, MeshNodeForm
 from c3nav.mesh.messages import MeshMessage, MeshMessageType
 from c3nav.mesh.models import MeshNode, NodeMessage
-from c3nav.mesh.utils import get_node_names
+from c3nav.mesh.utils import get_node_names, group_msg_type_choices
 
 
 class MeshNodeListView(ControlPanelMixin, ListView):
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class MeshNodeListView(ControlPanelMixin, ListView):
     def get_context_data(self, *args, **kwargs):
         return {
             **super().get_context_data(*args, **kwargs),
-            "send_msg_types": {msg_type for msg_type in MeshMessageForm.msg_types.keys()}
+            "send_msg_types": group_msg_type_choices({msg_type for msg_type in MeshMessageForm.msg_types.keys()})
         }
 
     def post(self, request):
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mesh/utils.py b/src/c3nav/mesh/utils.py
index 393561ed..a0784f98 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mesh/utils.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mesh/utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from operator import attrgetter
+
+
 def get_mesh_comm_group(address):
     return 'mesh_comm_%s' % address.replace(':', '-')
 
@@ -14,3 +17,13 @@ def get_node_names():
         '00:00:00:ff:ff:ff': "direct parent",
         '00:00:00:00:00:00': "root",
     }
+
+
+def group_msg_type_choices(msg_types):
+    msg_types = sorted(msg_types, key=attrgetter('value'))
+    choices = {}
+    for msg_type in msg_types:
+        choices.setdefault(msg_type.name.split('_')[0].lower(), []).append(
+            (msg_type.name, msg_type.pretty_name)
+        )
+    return tuple(choices.items())