diff --git a/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/test/scout_oas_schema/api/fixtures/schema_snapshot.json b/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/test/scout_oas_schema/api/fixtures/schema_snapshot.json
index dd72b4b069b2b..4a36874b0678e 100644
--- a/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/test/scout_oas_schema/api/fixtures/schema_snapshot.json
+++ b/src/platform/plugins/shared/dashboard/test/scout_oas_schema/api/fixtures/schema_snapshot.json
@@ -154,10 +154,7 @@
         "type": "string"
        }
       },
-      "additionalProperties": false,
-      "required": [
-       "group_by"
-      ]
+      "additionalProperties": false
      },
      "overview_mode": {
       "type": "string",
diff --git a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/common/embeddables/overview/transforms/transform_group_overview_out.ts b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/common/embeddables/overview/transforms/transform_group_overview_out.ts
index 842823aac71f5..7f859e5ae9d39 100644
--- a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/common/embeddables/overview/transforms/transform_group_overview_out.ts
+++ b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/common/embeddables/overview/transforms/transform_group_overview_out.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ function transformGroupFilters(
 
   return {
     ...state,
-    group_by: groupBy,
+    group_by: groupBy ?? 'status',
     ...(filters ? { filters: fromStoredFilters(groupFilters.filters) } : {}),
     ...(kqlQuery ? { kql_query: kqlQuery } : {}),
   };
diff --git a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/public/embeddable/slo/overview/group_view/slo_group_filters.tsx b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/public/embeddable/slo/overview/group_view/slo_group_filters.tsx
index 4ae32ee7dfdc3..fdde03c4e7791 100644
--- a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/public/embeddable/slo/overview/group_view/slo_group_filters.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/public/embeddable/slo/overview/group_view/slo_group_filters.tsx
@@ -101,8 +101,9 @@ export function SloGroupFilters({ selectedFilters, onSelected }: Props) {
   const { dataView } = useCreateDataView({
     indexPatternString: SUMMARY_DESTINATION_INDEX_NAME,
   });
-  const [selectedGroupBy, setSelectedGroupBy] =
-    useState<GroupBy>(selectedFilters.group_by) ?? 'status';
+  const [selectedGroupBy, setSelectedGroupBy] = useState<GroupBy>(
+    selectedFilters.group_by ?? 'status'
+  );
   const [filters, setFilters] = useState<Filter[]>(() =>
     ensureFiltersHaveState(toStoredFilters(selectedFilters.filters) ?? [])
   );
diff --git a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.test.ts b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.test.ts
index fd3f58ecd9c9d..8120c2c3c47db 100644
--- a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.test.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,22 @@ describe('schema validation', () => {
 
       expect(() => overviewEmbeddableSchema.validate(minimalState)).not.toThrow();
     });
+
+    it('should validate group overview state with empty group_filters or missing group_by', () => {
+      const stateWithEmptyGroupFilters = {
+        group_filters: {},
+        overview_mode: 'groups' as const,
+      };
+      expect(() => overviewEmbeddableSchema.validate(stateWithEmptyGroupFilters)).not.toThrow();
+
+      const stateWithGroupFiltersWithoutGroupBy = {
+        group_filters: { groups: ['healthy'] },
+        overview_mode: 'groups' as const,
+      };
+      expect(() =>
+        overviewEmbeddableSchema.validate(stateWithGroupFiltersWithoutGroupBy)
+      ).not.toThrow();
+    });
   });
 
   it('should validate single overview state with optional fields omitted', () => {
diff --git a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.ts b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.ts
index 7b189147fa574..48c38fb6afaa0 100644
--- a/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.ts
+++ b/x-pack/solutions/observability/plugins/slo/server/lib/embeddables/schema.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ const groupBySchema = schema.oneOf([
 const GroupOverviewCustomSchema = schema.object({
   group_filters: schema.maybe(
     schema.object({
-      group_by: groupBySchema,
+      group_by: schema.maybe(groupBySchema),
       groups: schema.maybe(schema.arrayOf(schema.string())),
       filters: schema.maybe(schema.arrayOf(asCodeFilterSchema)),
       kql_query: schema.maybe(schema.string()),