diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/components/settings-navigation.tsx b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/components/settings-navigation.tsx
index 7a4001c9..c98affb6 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/components/settings-navigation.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/components/settings-navigation.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { ChevronDown, ChevronRight } from 'lucide-react';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import type { Project } from '@/lib/electron';
-import type { NavigationItem } from '../config/navigation';
-import { GLOBAL_NAV_ITEMS, PROJECT_NAV_ITEMS } from '../config/navigation';
+import type { NavigationItem, NavigationGroup } from '../config/navigation';
+import { GLOBAL_NAV_GROUPS, PROJECT_NAV_ITEMS } from '../config/navigation';
 import type { SettingsViewId } from '../hooks/use-settings-view';
 
 const PROVIDERS_DROPDOWN_KEY = 'settings-providers-dropdown-open';
@@ -177,37 +177,45 @@ export function SettingsNavigation({
       )}
     >
       <div className="sticky top-0 p-4 space-y-1">
-        {/* Global Settings Label */}
-        <div className="px-3 py-2 text-xs font-semibold text-muted-foreground/70 uppercase tracking-wider">
-          Global Settings
-        </div>
+        {/* Global Settings Groups */}
+        {GLOBAL_NAV_GROUPS.map((group, groupIndex) => (
+          <div key={group.label}>
+            {/* Group divider (except for first group) */}
+            {groupIndex > 0 && <div className="my-3 border-t border-border/50" />}
 
-        {/* Global Settings Items */}
-        <div className="space-y-1">
-          {GLOBAL_NAV_ITEMS.map((item) =>
-            item.subItems ? (
-              <NavItemWithSubItems
-                key={item.id}
-                item={item}
-                activeSection={activeSection}
-                onNavigate={onNavigate}
-              />
-            ) : (
-              <NavButton
-                key={item.id}
-                item={item}
-                isActive={activeSection === item.id}
-                onNavigate={onNavigate}
-              />
-            )
-          )}
-        </div>
+            {/* Group Label */}
+            <div className="px-3 py-2 text-xs font-semibold text-muted-foreground/70 uppercase tracking-wider">
+              {group.label}
+            </div>
+
+            {/* Group Items */}
+            <div className="space-y-1">
+              {group.items.map((item) =>
+                item.subItems ? (
+                  <NavItemWithSubItems
+                    key={item.id}
+                    item={item}
+                    activeSection={activeSection}
+                    onNavigate={onNavigate}
+                  />
+                ) : (
+                  <NavButton
+                    key={item.id}
+                    item={item}
+                    isActive={activeSection === item.id}
+                    onNavigate={onNavigate}
+                  />
+                )
+              )}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        ))}
 
         {/* Project Settings - only show when a project is selected */}
         {currentProject && (
           <>
             {/* Divider */}
-            <div className="my-4 border-t border-border/50" />
+            <div className="my-3 border-t border-border/50" />
 
             {/* Project Settings Label */}
             <div className="px-3 py-2 text-xs font-semibold text-muted-foreground/70 uppercase tracking-wider">
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/config/navigation.ts b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/config/navigation.ts
index 463f6a52..62bb9daf 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/config/navigation.ts
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/config/navigation.ts
@@ -31,32 +31,50 @@ export interface NavigationGroup {
   items: NavigationItem[];
 }
 
-// Global settings - always visible
-export const GLOBAL_NAV_ITEMS: NavigationItem[] = [
-  { id: 'api-keys', label: 'API Keys', icon: Key },
+// Global settings organized into groups
+export const GLOBAL_NAV_GROUPS: NavigationGroup[] = [
   {
-    id: 'providers',
-    label: 'AI Providers',
-    icon: Bot,
-    subItems: [
-      { id: 'claude-provider', label: 'Claude', icon: AnthropicIcon },
-      { id: 'cursor-provider', label: 'Cursor', icon: CursorIcon },
-      { id: 'codex-provider', label: 'Codex', icon: OpenAIIcon },
-      { id: 'opencode-provider', label: 'OpenCode', icon: Cpu },
+    label: 'Model & Prompts',
+    items: [
+      { id: 'model-defaults', label: 'Model Defaults', icon: Workflow },
+      { id: 'defaults', label: 'Feature Defaults', icon: FlaskConical },
+      { id: 'prompts', label: 'Prompt Customization', icon: MessageSquareText },
+      { id: 'api-keys', label: 'API Keys', icon: Key },
+      {
+        id: 'providers',
+        label: 'AI Providers',
+        icon: Bot,
+        subItems: [
+          { id: 'claude-provider', label: 'Claude', icon: AnthropicIcon },
+          { id: 'cursor-provider', label: 'Cursor', icon: CursorIcon },
+          { id: 'codex-provider', label: 'Codex', icon: OpenAIIcon },
+          { id: 'opencode-provider', label: 'OpenCode', icon: Cpu },
+        ],
+      },
+      { id: 'mcp-servers', label: 'MCP Servers', icon: Plug },
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    label: 'Interface',
+    items: [
+      { id: 'appearance', label: 'Appearance', icon: Palette },
+      { id: 'terminal', label: 'Terminal', icon: SquareTerminal },
+      { id: 'keyboard', label: 'Keyboard Shortcuts', icon: Settings2 },
+      { id: 'audio', label: 'Audio', icon: Volume2 },
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    label: 'Account & Security',
+    items: [
+      { id: 'account', label: 'Account', icon: User },
+      { id: 'security', label: 'Security', icon: Shield },
     ],
   },
-  { id: 'mcp-servers', label: 'MCP Servers', icon: Plug },
-  { id: 'prompts', label: 'Prompt Customization', icon: MessageSquareText },
-  { id: 'model-defaults', label: 'Model Defaults', icon: Workflow },
-  { id: 'appearance', label: 'Appearance', icon: Palette },
-  { id: 'terminal', label: 'Terminal', icon: SquareTerminal },
-  { id: 'keyboard', label: 'Keyboard Shortcuts', icon: Settings2 },
-  { id: 'audio', label: 'Audio', icon: Volume2 },
-  { id: 'defaults', label: 'Feature Defaults', icon: FlaskConical },
-  { id: 'account', label: 'Account', icon: User },
-  { id: 'security', label: 'Security', icon: Shield },
 ];
 
+// Flat list of all global nav items for backwards compatibility
+export const GLOBAL_NAV_ITEMS: NavigationItem[] = GLOBAL_NAV_GROUPS.flatMap((group) => group.items);
+
 // Project-specific settings - only visible when a project is selected
 export const PROJECT_NAV_ITEMS: NavigationItem[] = [
   { id: 'danger', label: 'Danger Zone', icon: Trash2 },
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/hooks/use-settings-view.ts b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/hooks/use-settings-view.ts
index b1109d7b..1dc0208f 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/hooks/use-settings-view.ts
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/views/settings-view/hooks/use-settings-view.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ interface UseSettingsViewOptions {
   initialView?: SettingsViewId;
 }
 
-export function useSettingsView({ initialView = 'api-keys' }: UseSettingsViewOptions = {}) {
+export function useSettingsView({ initialView = 'model-defaults' }: UseSettingsViewOptions = {}) {
   const [activeView, setActiveView] = useState<SettingsViewId>(initialView);
 
   const navigateTo = useCallback((viewId: SettingsViewId) => {