diff --git a/oarepo_model_builder/datatypes/components/model/facets.py b/oarepo_model_builder/datatypes/components/model/facets.py
index c5dda28..2a6e07a 100644
--- a/oarepo_model_builder/datatypes/components/model/facets.py
+++ b/oarepo_model_builder/datatypes/components/model/facets.py
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ class Meta:
     )
     generate = ma.fields.Boolean()
     skip = ma.fields.Boolean()
+    facet_groups = ma.fields.Dict(
+        attribute="facet-groups",
+        data_key="facet-groups",
+        keys=ma.fields.String(),
+        values=ma.fields.Dict(keys=ma.fields.String(), values=ma.fields.Integer()),
+        metadata={
+            "doc": "Groups of facets in the form of {group_name: {facet_path: priority}}. Will merge with facet "
+            "groups declared on the individual fields."
+        },
+    )
 
 
 class FacetsModelComponent(ObjectFacetsComponent):
@@ -45,6 +55,7 @@ def before_model_prepare(self, datatype, *, context, **__kwargs):
         facets.setdefault("module", f"{module}.services.{profile_module}.facets")
 
         facets.setdefault("extra-code", "")
+        facets.setdefault("groups", True)
 
     def build_facet_definition(
         self,
diff --git a/oarepo_model_builder/invenio/invenio_record_search_options.py b/oarepo_model_builder/invenio/invenio_record_search_options.py
index bf55b3e..e9b6134 100644
--- a/oarepo_model_builder/invenio/invenio_record_search_options.py
+++ b/oarepo_model_builder/invenio/invenio_record_search_options.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from collections import defaultdict
 from typing import List
 
 from ..datatypes.components.facets import FacetDefinition
@@ -21,6 +22,18 @@ def finish(self, **extra_kwargs):
         for f in facets:
             facet_group_names.update(f.facet_groups.keys())
 
+        # there might be a definition of facet groups on the model's facets -> facet-groups
+        # if there is, we need to merge those
+        top_level_facet_groups = self.current_model.definition.get("facets", {}).get(
+            "facet-groups", {}
+        )
+        facet_group_names.update(top_level_facet_groups.keys())
+        path_to_facet_group = defaultdict(dict)
+
+        for group, group_def in top_level_facet_groups.items():
+            for path, priority in group_def.items():
+                path_to_facet_group[group][path] = priority
+
         # for each group name, gather all facets with that group name
         # sort them by their order in the group
         # and add them to the facet_groups dict
@@ -35,6 +48,11 @@ def finish(self, **extra_kwargs):
                 if group in f.facet_groups:
                     group_members.append((f, f.facet_groups[group]))
 
+                # if there is a definition of facet groups on the model's facets -> add the selected facets as well
+                for path, priority in path_to_facet_group.get(group, {}).items():
+                    if f.dot_path.startswith(path):
+                        group_members.append((f, priority))
+
             # sort the group members by their order in the facet_group
             group_members.sort(key=lambda x: x[1])
 
diff --git a/tests/test_search_options.py b/tests/test_search_options.py
index 2aab57a..2b8e868 100644
--- a/tests/test_search_options.py
+++ b/tests/test_search_options.py
@@ -425,6 +425,76 @@ def test_facet_groups_ordering():
     )
 
 
+def test_top_level_facet_groups_ordering():
+    schema = load_model(
+        DUMMY_YAML,
+        model_content={
+            "record": {
+                "use": "invenio",
+                "module": {"qualified": "test"},
+                "search-options": {
+                    "base-classes": ["BaseSearchOptions"],
+                    "imports": [{"import": "blah.BaseSearchOptions"}],
+                },
+                "facets": {
+                    "facet-groups": {
+                        "curator": {
+                            "a": 2,
+                            "b": 3,
+                            "c": 1,
+                        }
+                    }
+                },
+                "properties": {
+                    "a": {
+                        "type": "keyword",
+                    },
+                    "b": {
+                        "type": "keyword",
+                    },
+                    "c": {
+                        "type": "keyword",
+                    },
+                },
+            },
+        },
+        isort=False,
+        black=False,
+        autoflake=False,
+    )
+
+    filesystem = InMemoryFileSystem()
+    builder = create_builder_from_entrypoints(filesystem=filesystem)
+
+    builder.build(schema, "record", ["record"], "")
+
+    data = builder.filesystem.open(
+        os.path.join("test", "services", "records", "search.py")
+    ).read()
+    print(data)
+    data2 = builder.filesystem.open(
+        os.path.join("test", "services", "records", "facets.py")
+    ).read()
+    print(data2)
+    data3 = builder.filesystem.read(
+        os.path.join("test", "records", "mappings", "os-v2", "test", "test-1.0.0.json")
+    )
+    import json
+
+    data3 = json.loads(data3)
+    print(data3)
+    assert (
+        strip_whitespaces(
+            """
+                 'c': facets.c,
+                 'a': facets.a,
+                 'b': facets.b,
+    """
+        )
+        in strip_whitespaces(data)
+    )
+
+
 def test_replace_sort_options():
     schema = load_model(
         DUMMY_YAML,