diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.cpp
index e1976771ab0..0d49dfc28e5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.cpp
@@ -403,8 +403,6 @@ bool GTestTreeItem::modify(const TestParseResult *result)
 
 TestTreeItem *GTestTreeItem::createParentGroupNode() const
 {
-    if (type() != TestCase)
-        return nullptr;
     if (GTestFramework::groupMode() == GTest::Constants::Directory) {
         const QFileInfo fileInfo(filePath());
         const QFileInfo base(fileInfo.absolutePath());
@@ -511,6 +509,11 @@ bool GTestTreeItem::isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const
     }
 }
 
+bool GTestTreeItem::isGroupable() const
+{
+    return type() == TestCase;
+}
+
 TestTreeItem *GTestTreeItem::applyFilters()
 {
     if (type() != TestCase)
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.h
index 22225ae7f5d..8f1300007f2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/gtest/gtesttreeitem.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public:
     QString nameSuffix() const;
     QSet<QString> internalTargets() const override;
     bool isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const override;
+    bool isGroupable() const override;
     TestTreeItem *applyFilters() override;
 private:
     bool modifyTestSetContent(const GTestParseResult *result);
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.cpp
index 2f375a484e7..c9917d41bcb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.cpp
@@ -346,6 +346,11 @@ TestTreeItem *QtTestTreeItem::createParentGroupNode() const
     return new QtTestTreeItem(base.baseName(), fileInfo.absolutePath(), TestTreeItem::GroupNode);
 }
 
+bool QtTestTreeItem::isGroupable() const
+{
+    return type() == TestCase;
+}
+
 TestTreeItem *QtTestTreeItem::findChildByNameAndInheritance(const QString &name, bool inherited) const
 {
     return findFirstLevelChild([name, inherited](const TestTreeItem *other) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.h
index 2de8eb8f821..3c7f9c4bd7d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/qtest/qttesttreeitem.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public:
     void setInherited(bool inherited) { m_inherited = inherited; }
     bool inherited() const { return m_inherited; }
     TestTreeItem *createParentGroupNode() const override;
+    bool isGroupable() const override;
 private:
     TestTreeItem *findChildByNameAndInheritance(const QString &name, bool inherited) const;
     QString nameSuffix() const;
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
index 227c56410fe..94672bcc238 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
@@ -401,16 +401,16 @@ bool QuickTestTreeItem::removeOnSweepIfEmpty() const
 
 TestTreeItem *QuickTestTreeItem::createParentGroupNode() const
 {
-    if (filePath().isEmpty() || name().isEmpty())
-        return nullptr;
-    if (type() == TestFunctionOrSet)
-        return nullptr;
-
     const QFileInfo fileInfo(filePath());
     const QFileInfo base(fileInfo.absolutePath());
     return new QuickTestTreeItem(base.baseName(), fileInfo.absolutePath(), TestTreeItem::GroupNode);
 }
 
+bool QuickTestTreeItem::isGroupable() const
+{
+    return type() == TestCase && !name().isEmpty() && !filePath().isEmpty();
+}
+
 QSet<QString> QuickTestTreeItem::internalTargets() const
 {
     QSet<QString> result;
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
index 97c287f38f2..b1d49065f39 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ public:
     bool isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const override;
     bool removeOnSweepIfEmpty() const override;
     TestTreeItem *createParentGroupNode() const override;
+    bool isGroupable() const override;
     QSet<QString> internalTargets() const override;
     void markForRemovalRecursively(const QString &filePath) override;
 private:
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.cpp
index c136ed30ab2..c6b5101557d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.cpp
@@ -302,6 +302,11 @@ bool TestTreeItem::isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const
     return QFileInfo(other->filePath()).absolutePath() == filePath();
 }
 
+bool TestTreeItem::isGroupable() const
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
 QSet<QString> TestTreeItem::internalTargets() const
 {
     auto cppMM = CppTools::CppModelManager::instance();
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
index 10c5dee29bd..de9e824eda1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ public:
     virtual TestTreeItem *findChild(const TestTreeItem *other) = 0;
     virtual bool modify(const TestParseResult *result) = 0;
     virtual bool isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const;
+    virtual bool isGroupable() const;
     virtual TestTreeItem *createParentGroupNode() const = 0;
     // based on (internal) filters this will be used to filter out sub items (and remove them)
     // returns a copy of the item that contains the filtered out children or nullptr
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
index 48e32240328..0b9eaaa4267 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
@@ -346,13 +346,13 @@ static void applyParentCheckState(TestTreeItem *parent, TestTreeItem *newItem)
 void TestTreeModel::insertItemInParent(TestTreeItem *item, TestTreeItem *root, bool groupingEnabled)
 {
     TestTreeItem *parentNode = root;
-    if (groupingEnabled) {
+    if (groupingEnabled && item->isGroupable()) {
         parentNode = root->findFirstLevelChild([item] (const TestTreeItem *it) {
             return it->isGroupNodeFor(item);
         });
         if (!parentNode) {
             parentNode = item->createParentGroupNode();
-            if (!parentNode) // we might not get a group node at all
+            if (!QTC_GUARD(parentNode)) // we might not get a group node at all
                 parentNode = root;
             else
                 root->appendChild(parentNode);