diff --git a/docs/UI_LAYOUT.md b/docs/UI_LAYOUT.md
index 93aa0b5..5a5ff16 100644
--- a/docs/UI_LAYOUT.md
+++ b/docs/UI_LAYOUT.md
@@ -75,6 +75,117 @@ All left-side panels (Nav Panel, Filter Panel) dock their header content to the
 
 Right-side panels (Detail Panel, Chat Dock) use standard vertically-centered headers since the logo bulge doesn't reach them.
 
+### Nav Panel Sections
+
+Nav items can be organized into **sections**. Section headers are **conditionally visible** - they only appear when multiple sections exist.
+
+#### Single Section (headers hidden)
+
+When all items belong to one section, no headers are shown:
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────┐
+│  [≡] Sections     [···] │  ← Panel header
+├─────────────────────────┤
+│  ▸ Containers           │
+│    Networks             │
+│    Volumes              │
+│    Images               │
+│                         │
+└─────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+#### Multiple Sections (headers visible)
+
+When items span multiple sections, section headers appear:
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────┐
+│  [≡] Sections     [···] │  ← Panel header
+├─────────────────────────┤
+│ ▌Portainer              │  ← Section header (subtle bg, left accent)
+│  ▸ Containers           │
+│    Networks             │
+│    Volumes              │
+│    Images               │
+│                         │
+│ ▌NPM                    │  ← Section header
+│    Proxy Hosts          │
+│    Redirections         │
+│    Streams              │
+│                         │
+│ ▌Authentik              │  ← Section header
+│    Users                │
+│    Groups               │
+│    Applications         │
+│                         │
+└─────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+#### Section Header Styling
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────┐
+│▌SECTION NAME            │  ← Left accent bar (2px, primary color)
+└─────────────────────────┘   ← Background: surfaceContainerHigh
+                              ← Text: labelSmall, onSurfaceVariant
+                              ← Padding: 8px horizontal, 6px vertical
+                              ← All caps, letter-spacing: 0.5
+```
+
+#### Data Model
+
+```dart
+/// NavItem model (in nav_panel.dart)
+class NavItem {
+  final String id;
+  final String label;
+  final IconData icon;
+  final String? section;  // null = ungrouped
+}
+
+// Section headers auto-generate from unique section values
+// Visibility: items.map((i) => i.section).toSet().length > 1
+```
+
+#### Route Configuration Driven
+
+Sections are defined in the feature's route configuration, not the widget:
+
+```dart
+/// In lib/features/control_room/router.dart
+
+enum ControlRoomNav {
+  // Portainer section
+  containers('containers', 'Containers', Icons.dns, 'Portainer'),
+  networks('networks', 'Networks', Icons.hub, 'Portainer'),
+  volumes('volumes', 'Volumes', Icons.storage, 'Portainer'),
+  images('images', 'Images', Icons.photo_library, 'Portainer'),
+  // NPM section (future)
+  proxyHosts('proxy-hosts', 'Proxy Hosts', Icons.public, 'NPM'),
+  redirections('redirections', 'Redirections', Icons.alt_route, 'NPM'),
+  // Authentik section (future)
+  users('users', 'Users', Icons.people, 'Authentik'),
+  groups('groups', 'Groups', Icons.group_work, 'Authentik');
+
+  const ControlRoomNav(this.id, this.label, this.icon, this.section);
+
+  final String id;
+  final String label;
+  final IconData icon;
+  final String section;
+
+  NavItem toNavItem() => NavItem(
+        id: id,
+        label: label,
+        icon: icon,
+        section: section,
+      );
+}
+```
+
+The NavPanel widget receives items and auto-generates section headers based on unique section values in the list. No section logic lives in the widget - it just renders what the route config provides.
+
 ---
 
 ## Panel Configurations by Room
@@ -260,29 +371,51 @@ Primary landing page. Chat dock expanded by default.
 
 ### Control Room (Infrastructure)
 
-Context sidebar with section navigation. Chat collapsed.
+Nav panel with grouped section navigation. Chat collapsed.
 
+**Current state** (single grouper - headers hidden):
 ```
 ┌───────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┬──────┐
 │               │                                                       │      │
 │  SECTIONS     │  CONTAINERS                        [Search] [+ New]   │  💬  │
 │               │  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │      │
 │  ▸ Containers │  ☑ NAME          STATUS    CPU    MEM    IMAGE    ⋮  │      │
-│    Stacks     │  ☐ jellyfin      ● Run     2.3%   1.2GB  latest   ⋮  │      │
+│    Networks   │  ☐ jellyfin      ● Run     2.3%   1.2GB  latest   ⋮  │      │
+│    Volumes    │  ☐ ollama        ● Run     45%    8.0GB  0.1.32   ⋮  │      │
+│    Images     │  ☐ postgres      ● Run     1.1%   512MB  16-alp   ⋮  │      │
+│               │  ☐ redis         ● Run     0.2%   128MB  7-alp    ⋮  │      │
+│               │  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │      │
+│               │  Showing 5 of 40                    < 1 2 3 4 5 >    │      │
+│               │                                                       │      │
+└───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴──────┘
+```
+
+**Future state** (multiple groupers - headers visible):
+```
+┌───────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┬──────┐
+│               │                                                       │      │
+│  SECTIONS     │  CONTAINERS                        [Search] [+ New]   │  💬  │
+│               │  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │      │
+│ ▌PORTAINER    │  ☑ NAME          STATUS    CPU    MEM    IMAGE    ⋮  │      │
+│  ▸ Containers │  ☐ jellyfin      ● Run     2.3%   1.2GB  latest   ⋮  │      │
 │    Networks   │  ☐ ollama        ● Run     45%    8.0GB  0.1.32   ⋮  │      │
-│    Volumes    │  ☐ postgres      ● Run     1.1%   512MB  16-alp   ⋮  │      │
-│    Images     │  ☐ redis         ● Run     0.2%   128MB  7-alp    ⋮  │      │
-│               │  ☐ authentik     ○ Stop    -      -      2024.2   ⋮  │      │
-│  ──────────── │  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │      │
-│    Netdata  ↗ │  Showing 5 of 40                    < 1 2 3 4 5 >    │      │
-│    Portainer↗ │                                                       │      │
-│    NPM      ↗ │                                                       │      │
+│    Volumes    │  ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │      │
+│    Images     │  Showing 3 of 40                    < 1 2 3 4 5 >    │      │
+│               │                                                       │      │
+│ ▌NPM          │                                                       │      │
+│    Proxy Hosts│                                                       │      │
+│    Redirects  │                                                       │      │
+│               │                                                       │      │
+│ ▌AUTHENTIK    │                                                       │      │
+│    Users      │                                                       │      │
+│    Groups     │                                                       │      │
 │               │                                                       │      │
 └───────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴──────┘
 ```
 
 **Components:**
-- Context Sidebar: Section nav + external links
+- Nav Panel: Grouped section navigation (grouper headers conditional)
+- Filter Panel: Stack/item filtering within section
 - DataGrid: Container list with bulk actions
 - Detail Panel: Opens on row selection (replaces grid or slides in)