diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/PortController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/PortController.php
index cc4a012de3..13a0494e66 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/PortController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/PortController.php
@@ -26,20 +26,22 @@
 namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
 use App\Models\Port;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Validator;
 
 class PortController extends Controller
 {
     public function update(\Illuminate\Http\Request $request, Port $port)
     {
-        $this->validate($request, [
+        $validated = Validator::make($request->json()->all(), [
+            'groups' => 'array',
             'groups.*' => 'int',
-        ]);
+        ])->validate();
 
         $updated = false;
         $message = '';
 
-        if ($request->has('groups')) {
-            $changes = $port->groups()->sync($request->get('groups'));
+        if (array_key_exists('groups', $validated)) {
+            $changes = $port->groups()->sync($validated['groups']);
             $groups_updated = array_sum(array_map(function ($group_ids) {
                 return count($group_ids);
             }, $changes));
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Select/PortGroupController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Select/PortGroupController.php
index b21bada64a..75af2ceb12 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Select/PortGroupController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Select/PortGroupController.php
@@ -39,19 +39,6 @@ class PortGroupController extends SelectController
         return PortGroup::hasAccess($request->user())->select(['id', 'name']);
     }
 
-    protected function formatResponse($paginator)
-    {
-        // prepend the default group, unless filtered out
-        if ($this->includeGeneral()) {
-            $general = new PortGroup;
-            $general->id = 0;
-            $general->name = 'no default Port Group';
-            $paginator->prepend($general);
-        }
-
-        return parent::formatResponse($paginator);
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param  PortGroup  $port_group
      */
diff --git a/includes/html/pages/device/edit/ports.inc.php b/includes/html/pages/device/edit/ports.inc.php
index bf644b5aca..ac6eaa630b 100644
--- a/includes/html/pages/device/edit/ports.inc.php
+++ b/includes/html/pages/device/edit/ports.inc.php
@@ -228,12 +228,24 @@
         });
 
         init_select2('.port_group_select', 'port-group', {}, null, 'No Group');
+        var last_port_group_change;
         $('.port_group_select').on('change', function (e) {
-            var $target = $(e.target)
+            var $target = $(e.target);
+            var port_id = $target.data('port_id');
+            var groups = JSON.stringify({"groups": $target.val()});
+
+            console.log(last_port_group_change, (port_id + groups));
+            // don't send the same update multiple times... silly select2
+            if (last_port_group_change === (port_id + groups)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            last_port_group_change = port_id + groups;
+
             $.ajax({
                 type: "PUT",
-                url: "<?php echo url('port'); ?>/" + $target.data('port_id'),
-                data: {"groups": $target.val()},
+                url: "<?php echo url('port'); ?>/" + port_id,
+                data: groups,
                 success: function(data) {
                     toastr.success(data.message)
                 },