diff --git a/doc/geany.txt b/doc/geany.txt
index 4c2b006a7..d10600746 100644
--- a/doc/geany.txt
+++ b/doc/geany.txt
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ described by that plugin documentation):
 
   * expand/collapse the tree
   * control sorting order
+  * control whether to group symbols by their type
   * locate the symbol in documents
 
   The symbols tab can also be filtered by typing a string into
diff --git a/src/document.c b/src/document.c
index 4ad10e7f4..8b30ef15d 100644
--- a/src/document.c
+++ b/src/document.c
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ static GeanyDocument *document_create(const gchar *utf8_filename)
 	/* initialize default document settings */
 	doc->priv = g_new0(GeanyDocumentPrivate, 1);
 	doc->priv->tag_filter = g_strdup("");
+	doc->priv->symbols_group_by_type = TRUE;
 	doc->id = ++doc_id_counter;
 	doc->index = new_idx;
 	doc->file_name = g_strdup(utf8_filename);
diff --git a/src/documentprivate.h b/src/documentprivate.h
index 02a2cd6b6..9dc53b095 100644
--- a/src/documentprivate.h
+++ b/src/documentprivate.h
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ typedef struct GeanyDocumentPrivate
 	GData			*data;
 	/* Text used for filtering symbol tree. */
 	gchar			*tag_filter;
+	/* Group symbols in symbol tree by their type. */
+	gboolean		symbols_group_by_type;
 }
 GeanyDocumentPrivate;
 
diff --git a/src/keyfile.c b/src/keyfile.c
index 5607f5261..817bdcd70 100644
--- a/src/keyfile.c
+++ b/src/keyfile.c
@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ static void save_ui_prefs(GKeyFile *config)
 	g_key_file_set_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "statusbar_visible", interface_prefs.statusbar_visible);
 	g_key_file_set_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "msgwindow_visible", ui_prefs.msgwindow_visible);
 	g_key_file_set_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "fullscreen", ui_prefs.fullscreen);
+	g_key_file_set_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "symbols_group_by_type", ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type);
 	g_key_file_set_string(config, PACKAGE, "color_picker_palette", ui_prefs.color_picker_palette);
 
 	/* get the text from the scribble textview */
@@ -1032,6 +1033,7 @@ static void load_ui_prefs(GKeyFile *config)
 	ui_prefs.sidebar_visible = utils_get_setting_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "sidebar_visible", TRUE);
 	ui_prefs.msgwindow_visible = utils_get_setting_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "msgwindow_visible", TRUE);
 	ui_prefs.fullscreen = utils_get_setting_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "fullscreen", FALSE);
+	ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type = utils_get_setting_boolean(config, PACKAGE, "symbols_group_by_type", TRUE);
 	ui_prefs.custom_date_format = utils_get_setting_string(config, PACKAGE, "custom_date_format", "");
 	ui_prefs.custom_commands = g_key_file_get_string_list(config, PACKAGE, "custom_commands", NULL, NULL);
 	ui_prefs.custom_commands_labels = g_key_file_get_string_list(config, PACKAGE, "custom_commands_labels", NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/src/symbols.c b/src/symbols.c
index c70d97604..a55397d36 100644
--- a/src/symbols.c
+++ b/src/symbols.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ static struct
 	GtkWidget *find_usage;
 	GtkWidget *find_doc_usage;
 	GtkWidget *find_in_files;
+	GtkWidget *group_by_type;
 }
 symbol_menu;
 
@@ -975,16 +976,18 @@ static void update_tree_tags(GeanyDocument *doc, GList **tags)
 	foreach_list (item, *tags)
 	{
 		TMTag *tag = item->data;
-		GtkTreeIter *parent;
+		GtkTreeIter *parent, *parent_group;
 
-		parent = get_tag_type_iter(tag->lang, tag->type);
-		if (parent)
+		parent_group = get_tag_type_iter(tag->lang, tag->type);
+		/* tv_iters[0] is reserved for the "Symbols" group */
+		parent = ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type ? parent_group : &tv_iters[0];
+		if (parent_group)
 		{
 			gboolean expand;
 			const gchar *name;
 			const gchar *parent_name;
 			gchar *tooltip;
-			GdkPixbuf *icon = get_child_icon(store, parent);
+			GdkPixbuf *icon = get_child_icon(store, parent_group);
 
 			parent_name = get_parent_name(tag);
 			if (parent_name)
@@ -1137,6 +1140,11 @@ gboolean symbols_recreate_tag_list(GeanyDocument *doc, gint sort_mode)
 	if (tags == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
 
+	if (doc->priv->symbols_group_by_type != ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type)
+		gtk_tree_store_clear(doc->priv->tag_store);
+
+	doc->priv->symbols_group_by_type = ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type;
+
 	/* FIXME: Not sure why we detached the model here? */
 
 	/* disable sorting during update because the code doesn't support correctly
@@ -2035,6 +2043,17 @@ static void on_symbol_tree_sort_clicked(GtkMenuItem *menuitem, gpointer user_dat
 		doc->has_tags = symbols_recreate_tag_list(doc, sort_mode);
 }
 
+static void on_symbol_tree_group_by_type_clicked(GtkMenuItem *menuitem, gpointer user_data)
+{
+	GeanyDocument *doc = document_get_current();
+
+	if (ignore_callback)
+		return;
+
+	ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type = gtk_check_menu_item_get_active(GTK_CHECK_MENU_ITEM(menuitem));
+	if (doc != NULL)
+		doc->has_tags = symbols_recreate_tag_list(doc, SYMBOLS_SORT_USE_PREVIOUS);
+}
 
 static void on_symbol_tree_menu_show(GtkWidget *widget,
 		gpointer user_data)
@@ -2045,6 +2064,7 @@ static void on_symbol_tree_menu_show(GtkWidget *widget,
 	enable = doc && doc->has_tags;
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.sort_by_name, enable);
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.sort_by_appearance, enable);
+	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.group_by_type, enable);
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.expand_all, enable);
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.collapse_all, enable);
 	gtk_widget_set_sensitive(symbol_menu.find_usage, enable);
@@ -2060,6 +2080,9 @@ static void on_symbol_tree_menu_show(GtkWidget *widget,
 	else
 		gtk_check_menu_item_set_active(GTK_CHECK_MENU_ITEM(symbol_menu.sort_by_appearance), TRUE);
 
+	gtk_check_menu_item_set_active(GTK_CHECK_MENU_ITEM(symbol_menu.group_by_type),
+		ui_prefs.symbols_group_by_type);
+
 	ignore_callback = FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -2147,6 +2170,15 @@ static void create_taglist_popup_menu(void)
 	gtk_widget_show(item);
 	gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(menu), item);
 
+	symbol_menu.group_by_type = item = gtk_check_menu_item_new_with_mnemonic(_("_Group by Type"));
+	gtk_widget_show(item);
+	gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(menu), item);
+	g_signal_connect(item, "activate", G_CALLBACK(on_symbol_tree_group_by_type_clicked), NULL);
+
+	item = gtk_separator_menu_item_new();
+	gtk_widget_show(item);
+	gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(menu), item);
+
 	symbol_menu.find_usage = item = ui_image_menu_item_new(GTK_STOCK_FIND, _("Find _Usage"));
 	gtk_widget_show(item);
 	gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(menu), item);
diff --git a/src/tagmanager/tm_parser.c b/src/tagmanager/tm_parser.c
index a305674e2..a60d39bc1 100644
--- a/src/tagmanager/tm_parser.c
+++ b/src/tagmanager/tm_parser.c
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ gint tm_parser_get_sidebar_group(TMParserType lang, TMTagType type)
 	for (i = 0; i < map->group_num; i++)
 	{
 		if (map->groups[i].types & type)
-			return i;
+			return i + 1;  // "Symbols" group is always first
 	}
 	return -1;
 }
@@ -1065,22 +1065,32 @@ gint tm_parser_get_sidebar_group(TMParserType lang, TMTagType type)
 
 const gchar *tm_parser_get_sidebar_info(TMParserType lang, gint group, guint *icon)
 {
+	const gchar *name;
 	TMParserMap *map;
 	TMParserMapGroup *grp;
 
 	if (lang >= TM_PARSER_COUNT)
 		return NULL;
 
-	map = &parser_map[lang];
-	if (group >= (gint)map->group_num)
-		return NULL;
+	if (group == 0)
+	{
+		name = _("Symbols");
+		*icon = TM_ICON_NAMESPACE;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		map = &parser_map[lang];
+		if (group > (gint)map->group_num)
+			return NULL;
 
-	grp = &map->groups[group];
-	*icon = grp->icon;
+		grp = &map->groups[group - 1];
+		name = grp->name;
+		*icon = grp->icon;
+	}
 #ifdef GETTEXT_PACKAGE
-	return g_dgettext(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, grp->name);
+	return g_dgettext(GETTEXT_PACKAGE, name);
 #else
-	return grp->name;
+	return name;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui_utils.h b/src/ui_utils.h
index 32ae84e95..08987882a 100644
--- a/src/ui_utils.h
+++ b/src/ui_utils.h
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ typedef struct UIPrefs
 	gboolean	allow_always_save; /* if set, files can always be saved, even if unchanged */
 	gchar		*statusbar_template;
 	gboolean	new_document_after_close;
+	gboolean	symbols_group_by_type;
 
 	/* Menu-item related data */
 	GQueue		*recent_queue;