diff --git a/assets/javascripts/reporting/controls.js b/assets/javascripts/reporting/controls.js
index 05387633ee..f69c31ca7d 100644
--- a/assets/javascripts/reporting/controls.js
+++ b/assets/javascripts/reporting/controls.js
@@ -80,14 +80,17 @@ Reporting.Controls = {
   },
 
   serialize_settings_form: function() {
-    var ret_str = Form.serialize('query_form');
-    var rows = Sortable.serialize('group_by_rows');
-    var columns = Sortable.serialize('group_by_columns');
-    if (rows !== null && rows != "") {
-        ret_str += "&" + rows;
-    }
-    if(columns !== null && columns != "") {
-        ret_str += "&" + columns;
+    var ret_str, grouping_str;
+    ret_str = Form.serialize('query_form');
+    grouping_str = $w('rows columns').inject('', function(grouping, type) {
+      return grouping + $('group_by_' + type).select('.group_by_element').map(function(group_by) {
+        return 'groups[' + type + '][]=' + group_by.readAttribute('data-group-by');
+      }).inject('', function(all_group_str, group_str) {
+        return all_group_str + '&' + group_str;
+      });
+    });
+    if (grouping_str.length > 0) {
+        ret_str += grouping_str;
     }
     return ret_str;
   },
diff --git a/assets/javascripts/reporting/group_bys.js b/assets/javascripts/reporting/group_bys.js
index 9d496394e5..9f0773eb22 100644
--- a/assets/javascripts/reporting/group_bys.js
+++ b/assets/javascripts/reporting/group_bys.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ Reporting.GroupBys = {
       constraint:'horizontal',
       containment: ['group_by_columns','group_by_rows'],
       dropOnEmpty: true,
-      format: /^(.*)$/,
       hoverclass: 'drag_container_accept',
       onUpdate: Reporting.GroupBys.ordering_changed
     };
diff --git a/lib/widget/group_bys.rb b/lib/widget/group_bys.rb
index d6c5f9fa25..4d185e1c9d 100644
--- a/lib/widget/group_bys.rb
+++ b/lib/widget/group_bys.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class Widget::GroupBys < Widget::Base
     content_tag :div, :id => "group_by_#{type}", :class => 'drag_target drag_container' do
       out = ''
       #TODO render existing group_bys of type <type>
-      out += content_tag :select, :id => "add_group_by_#{type}", :name => "groups[#{type}][]", :class => 'select-small' do
+      out += content_tag :select, :id => "add_group_by_#{type}", :class => 'select-small' do
         options  = tag :option, :value => ''
         engine::GroupBy.all.each do |group_by_class|
           options += content_tag :option, :value => group_by_class.underscore_name, :'data-label' => "#{l(group_by_class.label)}" do