diff --git a/api/proto/board/board_types.proto b/api/proto/board/board_types.proto
index 65732e103c..6fd2371aab 100644
--- a/api/proto/board/board_types.proto
+++ b/api/proto/board/board_types.proto
@@ -841,7 +841,9 @@ message ReferenceImage
 
 message Group
 {
-  // TODO
+  kiapi.common.types.KIID id = 1;
+  string name = 2;
+  repeated kiapi.common.types.KIID items = 3;
 }
 
 message FieldId
diff --git a/api/proto/common/commands/editor_commands.proto b/api/proto/common/commands/editor_commands.proto
index 9551e01b7d..04a2c38e59 100644
--- a/api/proto/common/commands/editor_commands.proto
+++ b/api/proto/common/commands/editor_commands.proto
@@ -222,6 +222,14 @@ message GetItems
   repeated kiapi.common.types.KiCadObjectType types = 2;
 }
 
+message GetItemsById
+{
+  // Specifies which document to query, which fields to return, etc.
+  kiapi.common.types.ItemHeader header = 1;
+
+  repeated kiapi.common.types.KIID items = 2;
+}
+
 message GetItemsResponse
 {
   // Specifies which document was modified, which fields are included in items, etc.
diff --git a/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.cpp b/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.cpp
index b8f5b8fd38..29be3a273a 100644
--- a/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ API_HANDLER_PCB::API_HANDLER_PCB( PCB_EDIT_FRAME* aFrame ) :
     registerHandler<RevertDocument, Empty>( &API_HANDLER_PCB::handleRevertDocument );
 
     registerHandler<GetItems, GetItemsResponse>( &API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetItems );
+    registerHandler<GetItemsById, GetItemsResponse>( &API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetItemsById );
 
     registerHandler<GetSelection, SelectionResponse>( &API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetSelection );
     registerHandler<ClearSelection, Empty>( &API_HANDLER_PCB::handleClearSelection );
@@ -484,7 +485,9 @@ HANDLER_RESULT<ItemRequestStatus> API_HANDLER_PCB::handleCreateUpdateItemsIntern
             // doesn't currently know what to do with a footprint that has had its children
             // replaced with other children; which results in things like the view not having its
             // cached geometry for footprint children updated when you move a footprint around.
-            if( boardItem->Type() == PCB_FOOTPRINT_T )
+            // And also, groups are special because they can contain any item type, so we
+            // can't use CopyFrom on them either.
+            if( boardItem->Type() == PCB_FOOTPRINT_T  || boardItem->Type() == PCB_GROUP_T )
             {
                 commit->Remove( boardItem );
                 item->Serialize( newItem );
@@ -615,6 +618,16 @@ HANDLER_RESULT<GetItemsResponse> API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetItems(
             break;
         }
 
+        case PCB_GROUP_T:
+        {
+            handledAnything = true;
+
+            std::copy( board->Groups().begin(), board->Groups().end(),
+                       std::back_inserter( items ) );
+
+            typesInserted.insert( PCB_GROUP_T );
+            break;
+        }
         default:
             break;
         }
@@ -643,6 +656,47 @@ HANDLER_RESULT<GetItemsResponse> API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetItems(
 }
 
 
+HANDLER_RESULT<GetItemsResponse> API_HANDLER_PCB::handleGetItemsById(
+        const HANDLER_CONTEXT<GetItemsById>& aCtx )
+{
+    if( std::optional<ApiResponseStatus> busy = checkForBusy() )
+        return tl::unexpected( *busy );
+
+    if( !validateItemHeaderDocument( aCtx.Request.header() ) )
+    {
+        ApiResponseStatus e;
+        e.set_status( ApiStatusCode::AS_UNHANDLED );
+        return tl::unexpected( e );
+    }
+
+    GetItemsResponse response;
+
+    std::vector<BOARD_ITEM*> items;
+    for( const kiapi::common::types::KIID& id : aCtx.Request.items() )
+    {
+        if( std::optional<BOARD_ITEM*> item = getItemById( KIID( id.value() ) ) )
+            items.emplace_back( *item );
+    }
+
+    if( items.empty() )
+    {
+        ApiResponseStatus e;
+        e.set_status( ApiStatusCode::AS_BAD_REQUEST );
+        e.set_error_message( "none of the requested IDs were found or valid" );
+        return tl::unexpected( e );
+    }
+
+    for( const BOARD_ITEM* item : items )
+    {
+        google::protobuf::Any itemBuf;
+        item->Serialize( itemBuf );
+        response.mutable_items()->Add( std::move( itemBuf ) );
+    }
+
+    response.set_status( ItemRequestStatus::IRS_OK );
+    return response;
+}
+
 void API_HANDLER_PCB::deleteItemsInternal( std::map<KIID, ItemDeletionStatus>& aItemsToDelete,
                                            const std::string& aClientName )
 {
diff --git a/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.h b/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.h
index c44b0a0a36..c08c3c1237 100644
--- a/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.h
+++ b/pcbnew/api/api_handler_pcb.h
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ private:
     HANDLER_RESULT<commands::GetItemsResponse> handleGetItems(
             const HANDLER_CONTEXT<commands::GetItems>& aCtx );
 
+    HANDLER_RESULT<commands::GetItemsResponse> handleGetItemsById(
+            const HANDLER_CONTEXT<commands::GetItemsById>& aCtx );
+
     HANDLER_RESULT<commands::SelectionResponse> handleGetSelection(
             const HANDLER_CONTEXT<commands::GetSelection>& aCtx );
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/pcb_group.cpp b/pcbnew/pcb_group.cpp
index 075f7896a8..b511f3de52 100644
--- a/pcbnew/pcb_group.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/pcb_group.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@
 #include <confirm.h>
 #include <widgets/msgpanel.h>
 #include <view/view.h>
+#include <api/api_enums.h>
+#include <api/api_utils.h>
+#include <api/api_pcb_utils.h>
+#include <api/board/board_types.pb.h>
+#include <google/protobuf/any.pb.h>
 
 #include <wx/debug.h>
 
@@ -46,6 +51,53 @@ PCB_GROUP::PCB_GROUP( BOARD_ITEM* aParent, KICAD_T idtype, PCB_LAYER_ID aLayer )
 {
 }
 
+void PCB_GROUP::Serialize( google::protobuf::Any &aContainer ) const
+{
+    using namespace kiapi::board::types;
+    Group group;
+
+    group.mutable_id()->set_value( m_Uuid.AsStdString() );
+    group.set_name( GetName().ToUTF8() );
+
+    for( EDA_ITEM* item : GetItems() )
+    {
+        kiapi::common::types::KIID* itemId = group.add_items();
+        itemId->set_value( item->m_Uuid.AsStdString() );
+    }
+
+    aContainer.PackFrom( group );
+}
+
+
+bool PCB_GROUP::Deserialize( const google::protobuf::Any &aContainer )
+{
+    kiapi::board::types::Group group;
+
+    if( !aContainer.UnpackTo( &group ) )
+        return false;
+
+    const_cast<KIID&>( m_Uuid ) = KIID( group.id().value() );
+    SetName( wxString( group.name().c_str(), wxConvUTF8 ) );
+
+
+    BOARD* board = GetBoard();
+    if( !board )
+        return false;
+
+    for ( const kiapi::common::types::KIID& itemId : group.items() )
+    {
+
+        KIID        id( itemId.value() );
+        BOARD_ITEM* item = board->ResolveItem( id, true ); 
+        
+        if( item )
+        {
+            AddItem( item );
+        }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
 
 std::unordered_set<BOARD_ITEM*> PCB_GROUP::GetBoardItems() const
 {
diff --git a/pcbnew/pcb_group.h b/pcbnew/pcb_group.h
index 8820ab184b..8c8f0247bf 100644
--- a/pcbnew/pcb_group.h
+++ b/pcbnew/pcb_group.h
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ class PCB_GROUP : public BOARD_ITEM, public EDA_GROUP
 public:
     PCB_GROUP( BOARD_ITEM* aParent );
 
+    void Serialize( google::protobuf::Any &aContainer ) const override;
+    bool Deserialize( const google::protobuf::Any &aContainer ) override;
+
+
     EDA_ITEM* AsEdaItem() override { return this; }
 
     static inline bool ClassOf( const EDA_ITEM* aItem )