diff --git a/apps/app/auto-imports.d.ts b/apps/app/auto-imports.d.ts
index 46afb6f5..8adf5b53 100644
--- a/apps/app/auto-imports.d.ts
+++ b/apps/app/auto-imports.d.ts
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ declare global {
   const useThrottleFn: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useThrottleFn']
   const useThrottledRefHistory: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useThrottledRefHistory']
   const useTimeAgo: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeAgo']
+  const useTimeSlotDropdown: typeof import('./src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown')['useTimeSlotDropdown']
   const useTimeout: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeout']
   const useTimeoutFn: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeoutFn']
   const useTimeoutPoll: typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeoutPoll']
@@ -681,6 +682,7 @@ declare module 'vue' {
     readonly useThrottleFn: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useThrottleFn']>
     readonly useThrottledRefHistory: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useThrottledRefHistory']>
     readonly useTimeAgo: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeAgo']>
+    readonly useTimeSlotDropdown: UnwrapRef<typeof import('./src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown')['useTimeSlotDropdown']>
     readonly useTimeout: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeout']>
     readonly useTimeoutFn: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeoutFn']>
     readonly useTimeoutPoll: UnwrapRef<typeof import('@vueuse/core')['useTimeoutPoll']>
diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/sections/CreateShiftDialog.vue b/apps/app/src/components/sections/CreateShiftDialog.vue
index e9099e60..ccdffd54 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/sections/CreateShiftDialog.vue
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/sections/CreateShiftDialog.vue
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const { data: eventDetail } = useEventDetail(orgIdRef, eventIdRef)
 const sectionRef = computed(() => props.section ?? null)
 
 // Determine dropdown scenario
-const { scenario, showInfoTooltip, tooltipText, fetchParams, groupTimeSlots } = useTimeSlotDropdown(
+const { scenario, showInfoTooltip, hasGroups, tooltipText, fetchParams, sortedItems } = useTimeSlotDropdown(
   eventDetail,
   sectionRef,
 )
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ watch(
   { immediate: true },
 )
 
-// Group time slots for the dropdown
-const flattenedTimeSlots = computed(() => {
+// Build sorted dropdown items (no fake header items — groups are detected by boundary)
+const dropdownItems = computed(() => {
   // While loading, show the current shift's time slot so the dropdown doesn't flash a raw ULID
   if (!timeSlots.value?.length) {
     if (props.shift?.time_slot) {
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ const flattenedTimeSlots = computed(() => {
         name: ts.name,
         timeRange: `${ts.start_time} – ${ts.end_time}`,
         displayLabel: ts.name,
-        _isGroupHeader: false,
         _isDimmed: false,
         groupName: '',
       }]
@@ -114,10 +113,16 @@ const flattenedTimeSlots = computed(() => {
     return []
   }
 
-  return groupTimeSlots(timeSlots.value)
+  return sortedItems(timeSlots.value)
 })
 
-const hasTimeSlots = computed(() => flattenedTimeSlots.value.some(i => !i._isGroupHeader))
+const hasTimeSlots = computed(() => dropdownItems.value.length > 0)
+
+// Detect group boundaries: true when the current item starts a new group
+function isNewGroup(index: number): boolean {
+  if (index === 0) return true
+  return dropdownItems.value[index]?.groupName !== dropdownItems.value[index - 1]?.groupName
+}
 
 const statusOptions = [
   { title: 'Concept', value: 'draft' },
@@ -231,7 +236,7 @@ function onSubmit() {
               <VAutocomplete
                 v-if="timeSlotsLoading || hasTimeSlots"
                 v-model="form.time_slot_id"
-                :items="flattenedTimeSlots.filter(i => !i._isGroupHeader)"
+                :items="dropdownItems"
                 item-title="displayLabel"
                 item-value="id"
                 label="Tijdslot"
@@ -251,12 +256,20 @@ function onSubmit() {
                   </InfoTooltip>
                 </template>
 
-                <template #item="{ props: itemProps, item }">
+                <template #item="{ props: itemProps, item, index }">
+                  <!-- Group header: rendered when event_name changes -->
+                  <VListSubheader
+                    v-if="hasGroups && isNewGroup(index)"
+                    :title="item.raw.groupName"
+                  />
+
                   <VListItem
-                    v-if="!item.raw._isGroupHeader"
                     v-bind="itemProps"
-                    :class="{ 'opacity-65': item.raw._isDimmed }"
+                    :class="{ 'time-slot-dimmed': item.raw._isDimmed }"
                   >
+                    <template #title>
+                      {{ item.raw.name }}
+                    </template>
                     <template #append>
                       <span class="text-caption text-medium-emphasis">
                         {{ item.raw.timeRange }}
@@ -412,3 +425,10 @@ function onSubmit() {
     </VCard>
   </VDialog>
 </template>
+
+<style scoped>
+/* Dimmed festival-level time slots in sub-event dropdown (scenario A/D) */
+:deep(.time-slot-dimmed) {
+  opacity: 0.65;
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/apps/app/src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown.ts b/apps/app/src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown.ts
index ae51f9b4..3da96fb4 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown.ts
+++ b/apps/app/src/composables/useTimeSlotDropdown.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@ import type { TimeSlot } from '@/types/timeSlot'
 
 export type DropdownScenario = 'flat' | 'sub_event_standard' | 'cross_event' | 'festival_standard'
 
-interface TimeSlotDropdownItem {
+export interface TimeSlotDropdownItem {
   id: string
   name: string
   timeRange: string
   displayLabel: string
-  _isGroupHeader: boolean
   _isDimmed: boolean
   groupName: string
 }
@@ -46,6 +45,8 @@ export function useTimeSlotDropdown(
 
   const showInfoTooltip = computed(() => scenario.value !== 'flat')
 
+  const hasGroups = computed(() => scenario.value !== 'flat')
+
   const tooltipText = computed<TooltipContent | null>(() => {
     const eventName = event.value?.name ?? ''
     const sectionName = section.value?.name ?? ''
@@ -86,52 +87,41 @@ export function useTimeSlotDropdown(
     }
   })
 
-  function groupTimeSlots(timeSlots: TimeSlot[]): TimeSlotDropdownItem[] {
+  /**
+   * Returns a flat array of selectable items sorted by group
+   * (own event first, then others). Group boundaries are detected
+   * in the template by comparing adjacent items' groupName.
+   */
+  function sortedItems(timeSlots: TimeSlot[]): TimeSlotDropdownItem[] {
     if (scenario.value === 'flat') {
-      return timeSlots.map(ts => toDropdownItem(ts, false))
+      return timeSlots.map(ts => toDropdownItem(ts, false, ''))
     }
 
-    // Group by event_name
+    // Classify each slot into a group and determine isOwn per group
     const groups = new Map<string, { slots: TimeSlot[]; isOwn: boolean }>()
     for (const ts of timeSlots) {
       const key = ts.event_name ?? 'Onbekend'
       if (!groups.has(key)) {
-        const isOwn = ts.source === 'own' || ts.source === 'sub_event' || ts.source === 'festival'
-          ? (scenario.value === 'sub_event_standard'
-            ? ts.source === 'sub_event'
-            : ts.source === 'own')
-          : false
+        const isOwn = scenario.value === 'sub_event_standard'
+          ? ts.source === 'sub_event'
+          : ts.source === 'own'
         groups.set(key, { slots: [], isOwn })
       }
       groups.get(key)!.slots.push(ts)
     }
 
-    const items: TimeSlotDropdownItem[] = []
-
-    // Own group first, then others
-    const sortedGroups = [...groups.entries()].sort(([, a], [, b]) => {
+    // Own group first, then others alphabetically
+    const sorted = [...groups.entries()].sort(([nameA, a], [nameB, b]) => {
       if (a.isOwn && !b.isOwn) return -1
       if (!a.isOwn && b.isOwn) return 1
-      return 0
+      return nameA.localeCompare(nameB)
     })
 
-    for (const [groupName, { slots, isOwn }] of sortedGroups) {
-      // Add group header
-      items.push({
-        id: `header-${groupName}`,
-        name: groupName,
-        timeRange: '',
-        displayLabel: groupName,
-        _isGroupHeader: true,
-        _isDimmed: false,
-        groupName,
-      })
-
-      // Determine if slots should be dimmed
+    const items: TimeSlotDropdownItem[] = []
+    for (const [groupName, { slots, isOwn }] of sorted) {
       const isDimmed = scenario.value === 'sub_event_standard' && !isOwn
-
       for (const ts of slots) {
-        items.push(toDropdownItem(ts, isDimmed))
+        items.push(toDropdownItem(ts, isDimmed, groupName))
       }
     }
 
@@ -141,21 +131,21 @@ export function useTimeSlotDropdown(
   return {
     scenario,
     showInfoTooltip,
+    hasGroups,
     tooltipText,
     fetchParams,
-    groupTimeSlots,
+    sortedItems,
   }
 }
 
-function toDropdownItem(ts: TimeSlot, isDimmed: boolean): TimeSlotDropdownItem {
+function toDropdownItem(ts: TimeSlot, isDimmed: boolean, groupName: string): TimeSlotDropdownItem {
   const timeRange = `${ts.start_time} – ${ts.end_time}`
   return {
     id: ts.id,
     name: ts.name,
     timeRange,
     displayLabel: ts.name,
-    _isGroupHeader: false,
     _isDimmed: isDimmed,
-    groupName: ts.event_name ?? '',
+    groupName,
   }
 }