diff --git a/include/mainwindow.h b/include/mainwindow.h
index 536f659c..0c3bd4ee 100644
--- a/include/mainwindow.h
+++ b/include/mainwindow.h
@@ -389,6 +389,11 @@ private:
     void refreshRecentProjectsMenu();
 
     void updateMapList();
+    void mapListAddItem();
+    void mapListRemoveItem();
+    void mapListAddGroup();
+    void mapListAddLayout();
+    void mapListAddArea();
 
     void displayMapProperties();
     void checkToolButtons();
diff --git a/include/ui/maplistmodels.h b/include/ui/maplistmodels.h
index 10270a13..a2babda6 100644
--- a/include/ui/maplistmodels.h
+++ b/include/ui/maplistmodels.h
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ public:
     QStandardItem *createGroupItem(QString groupName, int groupIndex, QStandardItem *fromItem = nullptr);
     QStandardItem *createMapItem(QString mapName, QStandardItem *fromItem = nullptr);
 
+    QStandardItem *insertGroupItem(QString groupName);
     QStandardItem *insertMapItem(QString mapName, QString groupName);
 
     QStandardItem *getItem(const QModelIndex &index) const;
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ public:
     void initialize();
 
 private:
+    friend class MapTree;
     void updateProject();
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/mainwindow.cpp b/src/mainwindow.cpp
index 61265135..4d31fb6c 100644
--- a/src/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -210,6 +210,24 @@ void MainWindow::initCustomUI() {
     WheelFilter *wheelFilter = new WheelFilter(this);
     ui->mainTabBar->installEventFilter(wheelFilter);
     this->ui->mapListContainer->tabBar()->installEventFilter(wheelFilter);
+
+    // Create buttons for adding and removing items from the mapList
+    QFrame *frame = new QFrame(this->ui->mapListContainer);
+    frame->setFrameShape(QFrame::NoFrame);
+    QHBoxLayout *layout = new QHBoxLayout(frame);
+
+    QPushButton *buttonAdd = new QPushButton(QIcon(":/icons/add.ico"), "");
+    connect(buttonAdd, &QPushButton::clicked, [this]() { this->mapListAddItem(); });
+    QPushButton *buttonRemove = new QPushButton(QIcon(":/icons/delete.ico"), "");
+    connect(buttonRemove, &QPushButton::clicked, [this]() { this->mapListRemoveItem(); });
+
+    layout->addWidget(buttonAdd);
+    layout->addWidget(buttonRemove);
+
+    layout->setSpacing(0);
+    layout->setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
+
+    this->ui->mapListContainer->setCornerWidget(frame, Qt::TopRightCorner);
 }
 
 void MainWindow::initExtraSignals() {
@@ -1178,12 +1196,6 @@ bool MainWindow::populateMapList() {
     this->layoutListProxyModel->setSourceModel(this->layoutTreeModel);
     ui->layoutList->setModel(layoutListProxyModel);
 
-    /// !TODO
-    // ui->mapList->setSelectionMode(QAbstractItemView::ExtendedSelection);
-    // ui->mapList->setDragEnabled(true);
-    // ui->mapList->setAcceptDrops(true);
-    // ui->mapList->setDropIndicatorShown(true);
-    // ui->mapList->setDragDropMode(QAbstractItemView::InternalMove);
     on_toolButton_EnableDisable_EditGroups_clicked();
 
     return success;
@@ -1270,6 +1282,58 @@ void MainWindow::onOpenMapListContextMenu(const QPoint &point) {
     (this->*addFunction)(menu.exec(QCursor::pos()));
 }
 
+void MainWindow::mapListAddGroup() {
+    QDialog dialog(this, Qt::WindowTitleHint | Qt::WindowCloseButtonHint);
+    dialog.setWindowModality(Qt::ApplicationModal);
+    QDialogButtonBox newItemButtonBox(QDialogButtonBox::Ok | QDialogButtonBox::Cancel, Qt::Horizontal, &dialog);
+    connect(&newItemButtonBox, &QDialogButtonBox::accepted, &dialog, &QDialog::accept);
+    connect(&newItemButtonBox, &QDialogButtonBox::rejected, &dialog, &QDialog::reject);
+
+    QLineEdit *newNameEdit = new QLineEdit(&dialog);
+    newNameEdit->setClearButtonEnabled(true);
+
+    static const QRegularExpression re_validChars("[_A-Za-z0-9]*$");
+    QRegularExpressionValidator *validator = new QRegularExpressionValidator(re_validChars);
+    newNameEdit->setValidator(validator);
+
+    QFormLayout form(&dialog);
+
+    form.addRow("New Group Name", newNameEdit);
+    form.addRow(&newItemButtonBox);
+
+    if (dialog.exec() == QDialog::Accepted) {
+        QString newFieldName = newNameEdit->text();
+        if (newFieldName.isEmpty()) return;
+        this->mapGroupModel->insertGroupItem(newFieldName);
+    }
+}
+
+void MainWindow::mapListAddLayout() {
+    // this->layoutTreeModel->insertMapItem(newMapName, newMap->layout->id);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::mapListAddArea() {
+    // this->mapAreaModel->insertMapItem(newMapName, newMap->location, newMapGroup);
+}
+
+void MainWindow::mapListAddItem() {
+    switch (this->ui->mapListContainer->currentIndex()) {
+    case 0:
+        this->mapListAddGroup();
+        break;
+    case 1:
+        this->mapListAddLayout();
+        break;
+    case 2:
+        this->mapListAddArea();
+        break;
+    }
+}
+
+void MainWindow::mapListRemoveItem() {
+    // !TODO
+}
+
 void MainWindow::onAddNewMapToGroupClick(QAction* triggeredAction) {
     if (!triggeredAction) return;
 
diff --git a/src/ui/maplistmodels.cpp b/src/ui/maplistmodels.cpp
index d22f2af6..ee60affc 100644
--- a/src/ui/maplistmodels.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/maplistmodels.cpp
@@ -156,15 +156,26 @@ bool MapGroupModel::dropMimeData(const QMimeData *data, Qt::DropAction action, i
             rowCount++;
         }
 
-        this->insertRows(firstRow, rowCount, parentIndex);
-
-        int newItemIndex = 0;
-        for (QString mapName : droppedMaps) {
-            QModelIndex mapIndex = index(firstRow, 0, parentIndex);
-            QStandardItem *mapItem = this->itemFromIndex(mapIndex);
-            createMapItem(mapName, mapItem);
-            firstRow++;
+        QStandardItem *groupItem = this->itemFromIndex(parentIndex);
+        if (groupItem->hasChildren()) {
+            this->insertRows(firstRow, rowCount, parentIndex);
+            for (QString mapName : droppedMaps) {
+                QModelIndex mapIndex = index(firstRow, 0, parentIndex);
+                QStandardItem *mapItem = this->itemFromIndex(mapIndex);
+                createMapItem(mapName, mapItem);
+                firstRow++;
+            }
         }
+        // for whatever reason insertRows doesn't work as I expected with childless items
+        // so just append all the new maps instead
+        else {
+            for (QString mapName : droppedMaps) {
+                QStandardItem *mapItem = createMapItem(mapName);
+                groupItem->appendRow(mapItem);
+                firstRow++;
+            }
+        }
+
     }
 
     emit dragMoveCompleted();
@@ -189,6 +200,10 @@ void MapGroupModel::updateProject() {
         QStringList mapsInGroup;
         for (int m = 0; m < groupItem->rowCount(); m++) {
             QStandardItem *mapItem = groupItem->child(m);
+            if (!mapItem) {
+                logError("An error occured while trying to apply updates to map group structure.");
+                return;
+            }
             QString mapName = mapItem->data(Qt::UserRole).toString();
             mapsInGroup.append(mapName);
             mapNames.append(mapName);
@@ -222,10 +237,17 @@ QStandardItem *MapGroupModel::createMapItem(QString mapName, QStandardItem *map)
     return map;
 }
 
+QStandardItem *MapGroupModel::insertGroupItem(QString groupName) {
+    QStandardItem *group = createGroupItem(groupName, this->groupItems.size());
+    this->root->appendRow(group);
+    this->updateProject();
+    return group;
+}
+
 QStandardItem *MapGroupModel::insertMapItem(QString mapName, QString groupName) {
     QStandardItem *group = this->groupItems[groupName];
     if (!group) {
-        return nullptr;
+        group = insertGroupItem(groupName);
     }
     QStandardItem *map = createMapItem(mapName);
     group->appendRow(map);