diff --git a/route.go b/route.go
index 3a14b6e9..d53ccd92 100644
--- a/route.go
+++ b/route.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ var DefaultRouteOpts = RouteOpts{
 	GroupInterval:  5 * time.Minute,
 	RepeatInterval: 4 * time.Hour,
 	SendResolved:   true,
+	GroupBy: map[model.LabelName]struct{}{
+		model.AlertNameLabel: struct{}{},
+	},
 }
 
 // A Route is a node that contains definitions of how to handle alerts.
@@ -50,18 +53,19 @@ func NewRoute(cr *config.Route, parent *RouteOpts) *Route {
 	if parent == nil {
 		parent = &DefaultRouteOpts
 	}
-	groupBy := map[model.LabelName]struct{}{}
-	for _, ln := range cr.GroupBy {
-		groupBy[ln] = struct{}{}
-	}
 
 	// Create default and overwrite with configured settings.
 	opts := *parent
-	opts.GroupBy = groupBy
 
 	if cr.SendTo != "" {
 		opts.SendTo = cr.SendTo
 	}
+	if cr.GroupBy != nil {
+		opts.GroupBy = map[model.LabelName]struct{}{}
+		for _, ln := range cr.GroupBy {
+			opts.GroupBy[ln] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
 	if cr.GroupWait != nil {
 		opts.GroupWait = time.Duration(*cr.GroupWait)
 	}
diff --git a/route_test.go b/route_test.go
index 524a2e67..e61cfad4 100644
--- a/route_test.go
+++ b/route_test.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ routes:
       env: 'testing'
 
     send_to: 'notify-testing'
+    group_by: []
 
   - match:
       env: "production"
@@ -72,13 +73,8 @@ routes:
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	var (
-		def = &RouteOpts{
-			GroupWait:      20 * time.Second,
-			GroupInterval:  5 * time.Minute,
-			RepeatInterval: 1 * time.Hour,
-			SendResolved:   true,
-		}
-		tree = NewRoute(&ctree, def)
+		def  = DefaultRouteOpts
+		tree = NewRoute(&ctree, &def)
 	)
 	lset := func(labels ...string) map[model.LabelName]struct{} {
 		s := map[model.LabelName]struct{}{}
@@ -99,7 +95,7 @@ routes:
 			result: []*RouteOpts{
 				{
 					SendTo:         "notify-A",
-					GroupBy:        lset(),
+					GroupBy:        def.GroupBy,
 					GroupWait:      def.GroupWait,
 					GroupInterval:  def.GroupInterval,
 					RepeatInterval: def.RepeatInterval,
@@ -115,7 +111,7 @@ routes:
 			result: []*RouteOpts{
 				{
 					SendTo:         "notify-A",
-					GroupBy:        lset(),
+					GroupBy:        def.GroupBy,
 					GroupWait:      def.GroupWait,
 					GroupInterval:  def.GroupInterval,
 					RepeatInterval: def.RepeatInterval,
@@ -162,7 +158,7 @@ routes:
 			result: []*RouteOpts{
 				{
 					SendTo:         "notify-productionA",
-					GroupBy:        lset(),
+					GroupBy:        def.GroupBy,
 					GroupWait:      1 * time.Minute,
 					GroupInterval:  def.GroupInterval,
 					RepeatInterval: def.RepeatInterval,
diff --git a/test/acceptance/inhibit_test.go b/test/acceptance/inhibit_test.go
index 2720d562..559bf3dc 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/inhibit_test.go
+++ b/test/acceptance/inhibit_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func TestInhibiting(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 1s
diff --git a/test/acceptance/send_test.go b/test/acceptance/send_test.go
index c7a6917b..acae4dfc 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/send_test.go
+++ b/test/acceptance/send_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ func TestMergeAlerts(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 1s
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ func TestRepeat(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 1s
@@ -130,6 +132,7 @@ func TestRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 3s
@@ -173,6 +176,7 @@ func TestBatching(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 5s
diff --git a/test/acceptance/silence_test.go b/test/acceptance/silence_test.go
index 9931ce81..3db1ace7 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/silence_test.go
+++ b/test/acceptance/silence_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func TestSilencing(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 1s
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ func TestSilenceDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	conf := `
 route:
   send_to: "default"
+  group_by: []
   group_wait:      1s
   group_interval:  1s
   repeat_interval: 1s