diff --git a/gui/shipBrowser.py b/gui/shipBrowser.py
index 079b7d89a..5ebd3aed1 100644
--- a/gui/shipBrowser.py
+++ b/gui/shipBrowser.py
@@ -417,8 +417,12 @@ class NavigationPanel(SFItem.SFBrowserItem):
         else:
             self.shipBrowser.filterShipsWithNoFits = True
             self.btnSwitch.label = "Show empty ship groups"
+
         stage = self.shipBrowser.GetActiveStage()
-        if stage == 2:
+
+        if stage == 1:
+            wx.PostEvent(self.shipBrowser,Stage1Selected())
+        elif stage == 2:
             categoryID = self.shipBrowser.GetStageData(stage)
             wx.PostEvent(self.shipBrowser,Stage2Selected(categoryID=categoryID, back = True))
 
@@ -553,6 +557,7 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
         self.mainFrame = gui.mainFrame.MainFrame.getInstance()
 
         self.categoryList=[]
+        self.categoryFitCache = {}
 
         self._stage1Data = -1
         self._stage2Data = -1
@@ -665,16 +670,28 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
         self.navpanel.ShowSwitchEmptyGroupsButton(False)
 
         sMarket = service.Market.getInstance()
-
+        sFit = service.Fit.getInstance()
         self.lpane.ShowLoading(False)
 
         self.lpane.Freeze()
         self.lpane.RemoveAllChildren()
+
         if len(self.categoryList) == 0:
+            # set cache of category list
             self.categoryList = list(sMarket.getShipRoot())
             self.categoryList.sort(key=lambda ship: ship.name)
+
+            # set map & cache of fittings per category
+            for cat in self.categoryList:
+                self.categoryFitCache[cat.ID] = sFit.groupHasFits(cat.ID)
+
         for ship in self.categoryList:
-            self.lpane.AddWidget(CategoryItem(self.lpane, ship.ID, (ship.name, 0)))
+            if self.filterShipsWithNoFits and not self.categoryFitCache[ship.ID]:
+                continue
+            else:
+                self.lpane.AddWidget(CategoryItem(self.lpane, ship.ID, (ship.name, 0)))
+
+        self.navpanel.ShowSwitchEmptyGroupsButton(True)
 
         self.lpane.RefreshList()
         self.lpane.Thaw()
@@ -691,12 +708,15 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
     def stage2Callback(self, data):
         if self.GetActiveStage() != 2:
             return
+
+        categoryID = self._stage2Data
         ships = list(data[1])
         sFit = service.Fit.getInstance()
 
         ships.sort(key=self.raceNameKey)
         racesList = []
         subRacesFilter = {}
+        t_fits = 0  # total number of fits in this category
 
         for ship in ships:
             if ship.race:
@@ -715,6 +735,7 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
 
         for ship in ships:
             fits = sFit.countFitsWithShip(ship.ID)
+            t_fits += fits
             filter = subRacesFilter[ship.race] if ship.race else True
 
             if override:
@@ -730,6 +751,11 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
 
         self.raceselect.RebuildRaces(racesList)
 
+        # refresh category cache
+        if t_fits == 0:
+            self.categoryFitCache[categoryID] = False
+        else:
+            self.categoryFitCache[categoryID] = True
 
         self.lpane.ShowLoading(False)
 
@@ -747,7 +773,6 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
 
         self._lastStage = self._activeStage
         self._activeStage = 2
-
         categoryID = event.categoryID
         self.lastdata = categoryID
 
@@ -785,6 +810,9 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
         sFit = service.Fit.getInstance()
         sMarket = service.Market.getInstance()
 
+        ship = sMarket.getItem(shipID)
+        categoryID = ship.group.ID
+
         self.lpane.Freeze()
         self.lpane.RemoveAllChildren()
         fitList = sFit.getFitsWithShip(shipID)
@@ -795,6 +823,8 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
             self.navpanel.gotoStage(stage,data)
             return
 
+        self.categoryFitCache[categoryID] = True
+
         self.navpanel.ShowNewFitButton(True)
         self.navpanel.ShowSwitchEmptyGroupsButton(False)
 
@@ -803,7 +833,7 @@ class ShipBrowser(wx.Panel):
             self.Layout()
 
         fitList.sort(key=self.nameKey)
-        shipName = sMarket.getItem(shipID).name
+        shipName = ship.name
 
         self._stage3ShipName = shipName
         self._stage3Data = shipID
diff --git a/service/fit.py b/service/fit.py
index 6546a74a7..aa61f7a31 100644
--- a/service/fit.py
+++ b/service/fit.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class Fit(object):
 
     def groupHasFits(self, groupID):
         sMkt = Market.getInstance()
-        grp = sMkt.getGroup(groupID, eager=("items", "group"))
+        grp = sMkt.getGroup(groupID)
         items = sMkt.getItemsByGroup(grp)
         for item in items:
             if self.countFitsWithShip(item.ID) > 0: