diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/forms.py b/src/c3nav/editor/forms.py
index c7bb105c..ec9a1c0c 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/forms.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/forms.py
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ def create_editor_form(editor_model):
                        'color_ground_fill', 'color_obstacles_default_fill', 'color_obstacles_default_border',
                        'stroke_color', 'stroke_width', 'fill_color', 'interactive', 'point_icon', 'extra_data',
                        'show_label', 'show_geometry', 'external_url',
+                       'show_label', 'show_geometry', 'external_url', 'default_geomtype',
                        ]
     field_names = [field.name for field in editor_model._meta.get_fields()
                    if not field.one_to_many and not isinstance(field, ManyToManyRel)]
diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/static/editor/js/editor.js b/src/c3nav/editor/static/editor/js/editor.js
index a76f4643..7fedeb2f 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/static/editor/js/editor.js
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/static/editor/js/editor.js
@@ -1370,6 +1370,7 @@ editor = {
                 }
                 form.addClass('creation-lock');
                 const geomtypes = form.attr('data-geomtype').split(',');
+                const default_geomtype = form.attr('data-default-geomtype');
 
                 const startGeomEditing = (geomtype) => {
                     editor._creating_type = geomtype;
@@ -1387,6 +1388,8 @@ editor = {
                     }
                 }
 
+                let selected_geomtype = geomtypes[0];
+
                 if (geomtypes.length > 1) {
                     const selector = $('<select id="geomtype-selector"></select>');
                     const geomtypeNames = {
@@ -1395,13 +1398,18 @@ editor = {
                         point: 'Point'
                     }; // TODO: translations
                     for(const geomtype of geomtypes) {
-                        selector.append(`<option value="${geomtype}">${geomtypeNames[geomtype]}</option>`);
+                        const option = $(`<option value="${geomtype}">${geomtypeNames[geomtype]}</option>`);
+                        if (geomtype === default_geomtype) {
+                            option.attr('selected', true);
+                            selected_geomtype = geomtype;
+                        }
+                        selector.append(option);
                     }
 
                     selector.on('change', e => startGeomEditing(e.target.value));
                     form.prepend(selector);
                 }
-                startGeomEditing(geomtypes[0]);
+                startGeomEditing(selected_geomtype);
             }
         }
     },
diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/templates/editor/edit.html b/src/c3nav/editor/templates/editor/edit.html
index faa0455e..54bae714 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/templates/editor/edit.html
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/templates/editor/edit.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     {% endif %}
 </h3>
 {% bootstrap_messages %}
-<form action="{{ path }}" method="post" {% if nozoom %}data-nozoom {% endif %}data-onbeforeunload {% if new %}data-new="{{ model_name }}" data-geomtype="{{ geomtype }}"{% else %}data-editing="{{ model_name }}-{{ pk }}"{% endif %}{% if access_restriction_select %} data-access-restriction-select{% endif %}>
+<form action="{{ path }}" method="post" {% if nozoom %}data-nozoom {% endif %}data-onbeforeunload {% if new %}data-new="{{ model_name }}" data-geomtype="{{ geomtype }}" {% if default_geomtype %}data-default-geomtype="{{ default_geomtype }}{% endif %}"{% else %}data-editing="{{ model_name }}-{{ pk }}"{% endif %}{% if access_restriction_select %} data-access-restriction-select{% endif %}>
     {% csrf_token %}
     {% bootstrap_form form %}
     {% buttons %}
diff --git a/src/c3nav/editor/views/overlays.py b/src/c3nav/editor/views/overlays.py
index ba091554..581afffa 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/editor/views/overlays.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/editor/views/overlays.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ def overlay_feature_edit(request, level=None, overlay=None, pk=None):
         'title': obj.title if obj else None,
         'geometry_url': geometry_url,
         'geomtype': 'polygon,linestring,point',
+        'default_geomtype': overlay.default_geomtype,
     }
 
     space_id = None
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/migrations/0118_dataoverlay_default_geomtype.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/migrations/0118_dataoverlay_default_geomtype.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a5cfe75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/migrations/0118_dataoverlay_default_geomtype.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.1.3 on 2024-12-16 11:25
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('mapdata', '0117_alter_dataoverlay_fill_color_and_more'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='dataoverlay',
+            name='default_geomtype',
+            field=models.CharField(blank=True, choices=[('polygon', 'Polygon'), ('line', 'Line'), ('point', 'Point')], max_length=255, null=True, verbose_name='default geometry type'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/overlay.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/overlay.py
index 8c465e79..19f77eeb 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/overlay.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/overlay.py
@@ -13,10 +13,18 @@ from c3nav.mapdata.utils.json import format_geojson
 
 
 class DataOverlay(TitledMixin, AccessRestrictionMixin, models.Model):
+    class GeometryType(models.TextChoices):
+        POLYGON = "polygon", _("Polygon")
+        LINESTRING = "linestring", _("Line string")
+        POINT = "point", _("Point")
+
     description = models.TextField(blank=True, verbose_name=_('Description'))
     stroke_color = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True, verbose_name=_('default stroke color'))
     stroke_width = models.FloatField(blank=True, null=True, verbose_name=_('default stroke width'))
     fill_color = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True, verbose_name=_('default fill color'))
+
+    default_geomtype = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True, choices=GeometryType, verbose_name=_('default geometry type'))
+
     pull_url = models.URLField(blank=True, null=True, verbose_name=_('pull URL'))
     pull_headers: dict[str, str] = SchemaField(schema=dict[str, str], null=True,
                                                verbose_name=_('headers for pull http request (JSON object)'))
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/schemas/filters.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/schemas/filters.py
index dece22e6..6aed0633 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/schemas/filters.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/schemas/filters.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ from pydantic import Field as APIField
 
 from c3nav.api.exceptions import APIRequestValidationFailed
 from c3nav.api.schema import BaseSchema
-from c3nav.mapdata.models import Level, LocationGroup, LocationGroupCategory, MapUpdate, Space, Door, Building
+from c3nav.mapdata.models import Level, LocationGroup, LocationGroupCategory, MapUpdate, Space, Door, Building, \
+    DataOverlay
 from c3nav.mapdata.models.access import AccessPermission
 
 
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ class ByOverlayFilter(FilterSchema):
     def validate(self, request):
         super().validate(request)
         if self.overlay is not None:
-            assert_valid_value(request, Level, "pk", {self.overlay})
+            assert_valid_value(request, DataOverlay, "pk", {self.overlay})
 
     def filter_qs(self, request, qs: QuerySet) -> QuerySet:
         if self.overlay is not None:
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/user.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/user.py
index 21e5722d..05ccaa51 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/user.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/user.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from django.utils.translation import ngettext_lazy
 from c3nav.mapdata.models import DataOverlay
 from c3nav.mapdata.models.access import AccessPermission, AccessRestriction
 from c3nav.mapdata.models.locations import Position
+from c3nav.mapdata.schemas.models import DataOverlaySchema
 
 
 def get_user_data(request):
@@ -32,16 +33,13 @@ def get_user_data(request):
     if request.user.is_authenticated:
         result['title'] = request.user.username
 
-    # TODO: permissions for overlays
+
     result.update({
-        'overlays': [{
-            'id': overlay.pk,
-            'name': overlay.title,
-            'group': None, # TODO
-            'stroke_color': overlay.stroke_color,
-            'stroke_width': overlay.stroke_width,
-            'fill_color': overlay.fill_color,
-        } for overlay in DataOverlay.objects.all()]
+        'overlays': [
+            DataOverlaySchema.model_validate(overlay).model_dump()
+            for overlay
+            in DataOverlay.qs_for_request(request)
+        ]
     })
     return result
 
diff --git a/src/c3nav/site/static/site/css/c3nav.scss b/src/c3nav/site/static/site/css/c3nav.scss
index 1173c532..52a30788 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/site/static/site/css/c3nav.scss
+++ b/src/c3nav/site/static/site/css/c3nav.scss
@@ -1811,14 +1811,7 @@ blink {
             }
 
             label {
-                cursor: pointer;
                 margin-left: 3ch;
-                margin-bottom: 0;
-            }
-
-            input[type=checkbox] {
-                margin-right: 0.5rem;
-                margin-bottom: 0;
             }
         }
 
@@ -1832,6 +1825,16 @@ blink {
             margin-top: 0;
             margin-bottom: 0;
         }
+
+        label {
+            cursor: pointer;
+            margin-bottom: 0;
+        }
+
+        input[type=checkbox] {
+            margin-right: 0.5rem;
+            margin-bottom: 0;
+        }
     }
 
     &.leaflet-control-overlays-expanded > .content {
diff --git a/src/c3nav/site/static/site/js/c3nav.js b/src/c3nav/site/static/site/js/c3nav.js
index 72523e9d..bf607ee5 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/site/static/site/js/c3nav.js
+++ b/src/c3nav/site/static/site/js/c3nav.js
@@ -2615,6 +2615,7 @@ KeyControl = L.Control.extend({
 OverlayControl = L.Control.extend({
     options: {position: 'topright', addClasses: '', levels: {}},
     _overlays: {},
+    _ungrouped: [],
     _groups: {},
     _initialActiveOverlays: null,
     _initialCollapsedGroups: null,
@@ -2685,14 +2686,19 @@ OverlayControl = L.Control.extend({
 
     addOverlay: function (overlay) {
         this._overlays[overlay.id] = overlay;
-        if (overlay.group in this._groups) {
-            this._groups[overlay.group].overlays.push(overlay);
+        if (overlay.group == null) {
+            this._ungrouped.push(overlay);
         } else {
-            this._groups[overlay.group] = {
-                expanded: this._initialCollapsedGroups === null || !this._initialCollapsedGroups.includes(overlay.group),
-                overlays: [overlay],
-            };
+            if (overlay.group in this._groups) {
+                this._groups[overlay.group].overlays.push(overlay);
+            } else {
+                this._groups[overlay.group] = {
+                    expanded: this._initialCollapsedGroups === null || !this._initialCollapsedGroups.includes(overlay.group),
+                    overlays: [overlay],
+                };
+            }
         }
+
         this.render();
     },
 
@@ -2709,7 +2715,28 @@ OverlayControl = L.Control.extend({
 
     render: function () {
         if (!this._content) return;
+
+        const ungrouped = document.createDocumentFragment();
         const groups = document.createDocumentFragment();
+
+
+        const render_overlays = (overlays, container) => {
+            for (const overlay of overlays) {
+                const label = document.createElement('label');
+                const checkbox = document.createElement('input');
+                checkbox.type = 'checkbox';
+                checkbox.dataset.id = overlay.id;
+                if (overlay.visible) {
+                    checkbox.checked = true;
+                }
+                label.append(checkbox, overlay.title);
+                container.append(label);
+            }
+        };
+
+        render_overlays(this._ungrouped, ungrouped);
+
+
         for (const group in this._groups) {
             const group_container = document.createElement('div');
             group_container.classList.add('overlay-group');
@@ -2721,20 +2748,10 @@ OverlayControl = L.Control.extend({
             const title = document.createElement('h4');
             title.innerText = group;
             group_container.append(title);
-            for (const overlay of this._groups[group].overlays) {
-                const label = document.createElement('label');
-                const checkbox = document.createElement('input');
-                checkbox.type = 'checkbox';
-                checkbox.dataset.id = overlay.id;
-                if (overlay.visible) {
-                    checkbox.checked = true;
-                }
-                label.append(checkbox, overlay.name);
-                group_container.append(label);
-            }
+            render_overlays(this._groups[group].overlays, group_container);
             groups.append(group_container);
         }
-        this._content.replaceChildren(...groups.children);
+        this._content.replaceChildren(...ungrouped.children, ...groups.children);
     },
 
     expand: function () {
@@ -2832,8 +2849,8 @@ class DataOverlay {
 
     constructor(options) {
         this.id = options.id;
-        this.name = options.name;
-        this.group = options.group ?? 'ungrouped';
+        this.title = options.title;
+        this.group = options.group;
         this.default_stroke_color = options.stroke_color;
         this.default_stroke_width = options.stroke_width;
         this.default_fill_color = options.fill_color;