diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutAllHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutAllHandler.cs
index 1ba8af14..e2ff7ff2 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutAllHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutAllHandler.cs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public class YamlPlayoutAllHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlPlayou
                         //PreferredAudioTitle = scheduleItem.PreferredAudioTitle,
                         //PreferredSubtitleLanguageCode = scheduleItem.PreferredSubtitleLanguageCode,
                         //SubtitleMode = scheduleItem.SubtitleMode
-                        GuideGroup = context.GuideGroup
+                        GuideGroup = context.NextGuideGroup()
                         //GuideStart = effectiveBlock.Start.UtcDateTime,
                         //GuideFinish = blockFinish.UtcDateTime,
                         //BlockKey = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(effectiveBlock.BlockKey),
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutCountHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutCountHandler.cs
index 6f58ce14..fbb1373f 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutCountHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutCountHandler.cs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public class YamlPlayoutCountHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlPlay
                         //PreferredAudioTitle = scheduleItem.PreferredAudioTitle,
                         //PreferredSubtitleLanguageCode = scheduleItem.PreferredSubtitleLanguageCode,
                         //SubtitleMode = scheduleItem.SubtitleMode
-                        GuideGroup = context.GuideGroup
+                        GuideGroup = context.NextGuideGroup()
                         //GuideStart = effectiveBlock.Start.UtcDateTime,
                         //GuideFinish = blockFinish.UtcDateTime,
                         //BlockKey = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(effectiveBlock.BlockKey),
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutDurationHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutDurationHandler.cs
index 1fdf4e12..71e57fe4 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutDurationHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutDurationHandler.cs
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutDurationHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlP
                 duration.DiscardAttempts,
                 duration.Trim,
                 duration.OfflineTail,
-                duration.EpgGroupPerItem,
                 GetFillerKind(duration),
                 enumerator,
                 fallbackEnumerator);
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutDurationHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlP
         int discardAttempts,
         bool trim,
         bool offlineTail,
-        bool guideGroupPerItem,
         FillerKind fillerKind,
         IMediaCollectionEnumerator enumerator,
         Option<IMediaCollectionEnumerator> fallbackEnumerator)
@@ -81,11 +79,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutDurationHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlP
         {
             foreach (MediaItem mediaItem in enumerator.Current)
             {
-                if (guideGroupPerItem)
-                {
-                    context.GuideGroup *= -1;
-                }
-
                 TimeSpan itemDuration = DurationForMediaItem(mediaItem);
 
                 var playoutItem = new PlayoutItem
@@ -95,14 +88,13 @@ public class YamlPlayoutDurationHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlP
                     Finish = context.CurrentTime.UtcDateTime + itemDuration,
                     InPoint = TimeSpan.Zero,
                     OutPoint = itemDuration,
-                    GuideGroup = context.GuideGroup,
+                    GuideGroup = context.NextGuideGroup(),
                     FillerKind = fillerKind
                     //DisableWatermarks = !allowWatermarks
                 };
 
                 if (remainingToFill - itemDuration >= TimeSpan.Zero)
                 {
-
                     context.Playout.Items.Add(playoutItem);
 
                     // create history record
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutNewEpgGroupHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutNewEpgGroupHandler.cs
index 80a0d4fe..63737e59 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutNewEpgGroupHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutNewEpgGroupHandler.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public class YamlPlayoutNewEpgGroupHandler : IYamlPlayoutHandler
             return Task.FromResult(false);
         }
 
-        context.GuideGroup *= -1;
+        // context.NextGuideGroup() *= -1;
         return Task.FromResult(true);
     }
 }
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadToNextHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadToNextHandler.cs
index a62ed484..a1d04c9b 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadToNextHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadToNextHandler.cs
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutPadToNextHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : Yaml
                 padToNext.DiscardAttempts,
                 padToNext.Trim,
                 offlineTail: true,
-                guideGroupPerItem: false,
                 GetFillerKind(padToNext),
                 enumerator,
                 fallbackEnumerator);
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadUntilHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadUntilHandler.cs
index fd229bcf..80045b3d 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadUntilHandler.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Handlers/YamlPlayoutPadUntilHandler.cs
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutPadUntilHandler(EnumeratorCache enumeratorCache) : YamlP
                 padUntil.DiscardAttempts,
                 padUntil.Trim,
                 offlineTail: true,
-                guideGroupPerItem: false,
                 GetFillerKind(padUntil),
                 enumerator,
                 fallbackEnumerator);
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Models/YamlPlayoutDurationInstruction.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Models/YamlPlayoutDurationInstruction.cs
index cdf5c1b2..2c982734 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Models/YamlPlayoutDurationInstruction.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/Models/YamlPlayoutDurationInstruction.cs
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@ public class YamlPlayoutDurationInstruction : YamlPlayoutInstruction
     [YamlMember(Alias = "offline_tail", ApplyNamingConventions = false)]
     public bool OfflineTail { get; set; }
 
-    [YamlMember(Alias = "epg_group_per_item", ApplyNamingConventions = false)]
-    public bool EpgGroupPerItem { get; set; } = true;
-
     public string Fallback { get; set; }
 
     [YamlMember(Alias = "discard_attempts", ApplyNamingConventions = false)]
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutBuilder.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutBuilder.cs
index 18051131..6538627b 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutBuilder.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutBuilder.cs
@@ -37,10 +37,9 @@ public class YamlPlayoutBuilder(
         Dictionary<YamlPlayoutInstruction, IYamlPlayoutHandler> handlers = new();
         var enumeratorCache = new EnumeratorCache(mediaCollectionRepository);
 
-        var context = new YamlPlayoutContext(playout, playoutDefinition)
+        var context = new YamlPlayoutContext(playout, playoutDefinition, guideGroup: 1)
         {
-            CurrentTime = start,
-            GuideGroup = 1
+            CurrentTime = start
 
             // no need to init default value and throw off visited count
             // InstructionIndex = 0
@@ -61,10 +60,10 @@ public class YamlPlayoutBuilder(
         {
             foreach (PlayoutAnchor prevAnchor in Optional(playout.Anchor))
             {
-                context.GuideGroup = prevAnchor.NextGuideGroup;
+                // TODO: does this matter?
+                //context.GuideGroup = prevAnchor.NextGuideGroup;
 
-                start = new DateTimeOffset(prevAnchor.NextStart.ToLocalTime(), start.Offset);
-                context.CurrentTime = start;
+                context.CurrentTime = new DateTimeOffset(prevAnchor.NextStart.ToLocalTime(), start.Offset);
 
                 context.InstructionIndex = prevAnchor.NextInstructionIndex;
             }
@@ -171,7 +170,7 @@ public class YamlPlayoutBuilder(
         {
             NextStart = maxTime,
             NextInstructionIndex = context.InstructionIndex,
-            NextGuideGroup = context.GuideGroup
+            NextGuideGroup = context.NextGuideGroup()
         };
 
         // logger.LogDebug(
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutContext.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutContext.cs
index 14173f42..7138b47d 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutContext.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Scheduling/YamlScheduling/YamlPlayoutContext.cs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ using ErsatzTV.Core.Scheduling.YamlScheduling.Models;
 
 namespace ErsatzTV.Core.Scheduling.YamlScheduling;
 
-public class YamlPlayoutContext(Playout playout, YamlPlayoutDefinition definition)
+public class YamlPlayoutContext(Playout playout, YamlPlayoutDefinition definition, int guideGroup)
 {
     private readonly System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<int> _visitedInstructions = [];
     private int _instructionIndex;
@@ -26,5 +26,14 @@ public class YamlPlayoutContext(Playout playout, YamlPlayoutDefinition definitio
 
     public bool VisitedAll => _visitedInstructions.Count >= Definition.Playout.Count;
 
-    public int GuideGroup { get; set; }
+    public int NextGuideGroup()
+    {
+        guideGroup++;
+        if (guideGroup > 1000)
+        {
+            guideGroup = 1;
+        }
+
+        return guideGroup;
+    }
 }