diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a691227..d60c8ed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## 2.6.8 - 2026-08-08
+
+### Fixed
+
+- The screen-group command buttons stay disabled until a real target group is selected, so the placeholder "Select Screen Group" state cannot send commands.
+
 ## 2.6.7 - 2026-08-08
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a02e80f..896db7e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "pulse-signage",
-  "version": "2.6.7",
+  "version": "2.6.8",
   "private": false,
   "description": "Pulse Signage application with MySQL and media storage",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/web/public/js/dashboard/dashboard-page.js b/src/web/public/js/dashboard/dashboard-page.js
index 46a65fa..d8e2387 100644
--- a/src/web/public/js/dashboard/dashboard-page.js
+++ b/src/web/public/js/dashboard/dashboard-page.js
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@
     }
 
     var selectedSlug = String(select.value || '').trim();
+    var hasSelectedGroup = Boolean(selectedSlug);
     var actionTarget = '/clients/' + encodeURIComponent(selectedSlug || '__all__') + '/commands';
     var selectedName = getSelectedScreenLabel();
     var selectedClients = getSelectedScreenClients(latestDashboardState);
@@ -134,6 +135,10 @@
       var action = String(form.getAttribute('data-screen-command-action') || '').trim();
       var button = form.querySelector('button[type="submit"]');
 
+      if (button) {
+        button.disabled = !hasSelectedGroup;
+      }
+
       if (action === 'pause' || action === 'blackout') {
         updateToggleButton(button, form, latestDashboardState);
         return;
diff --git a/src/web/views/signage/clients/list.hbs b/src/web/views/signage/clients/list.hbs
index e88f1c2..8549e8e 100644
--- a/src/web/views/signage/clients/list.hbs
+++ b/src/web/views/signage/clients/list.hbs
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@
               <div class="screen-command-actions">
                 <form method="post" action="#" class="inline-form" data-confirm-message="Reload selected screen?" data-screen-command-form data-screen-command-action="reload" data-async-command>
                   <input type="hidden" name="command" value="reload" />
-                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-danger"><i class="bi bi-arrow-repeat me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Reload screen</button>
+                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-danger" disabled><i class="bi bi-arrow-repeat me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Reload screen</button>
                 </form>
                 <form method="post" action="#" class="inline-form" data-confirm-message="Pause selected screen?" data-screen-command-form data-screen-command-action="pause" data-async-command>
                   <input type="hidden" name="command" value="pause" />
                   <input type="hidden" name="paused" value="true" />
-                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-info"><i class="bi bi-pause-fill me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Pause screen</button>
+                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-info" disabled><i class="bi bi-pause-fill me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Pause screen</button>
                 </form>
                 <form method="post" action="#" class="inline-form" data-confirm-message="Blackout selected screen?" data-screen-command-form data-screen-command-action="blackout" data-async-command>
                   <input type="hidden" name="command" value="blackout" />
                   <input type="hidden" name="blackout" value="true" />
-                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary"><i class="bi bi-eye-slash me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Blackout screen</button>
+                  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" disabled><i class="bi bi-eye-slash me-1" aria-hidden="true"></i>Blackout screen</button>
                 </form>
               </div>
             </div>
diff --git a/test/web-dashboard-page.test.js b/test/web-dashboard-page.test.js
index c2b6fc6..50b17b3 100644
--- a/test/web-dashboard-page.test.js
+++ b/test/web-dashboard-page.test.js
@@ -342,3 +342,181 @@ test('dashboard move client button opens the move modal for the selected row', (
   assert.equal(clientNameInput.value, 'Lobby Client');
   assert.equal(playerBaseUrlInput.value, 'http://player.local');
 });
+
+test('dashboard screen group controls stay disabled until a group is selected', () => {
+  const script = fs.readFileSync(require.resolve('../src/web/public/js/dashboard/dashboard-page.js'), 'utf8');
+  const pauseInput = { value: 'true' };
+  const blackoutInput = { value: 'true' };
+  const reloadButton = {
+    disabled: false,
+    innerHTML: '',
+    setAttribute() {},
+    classList: { add() {}, remove() {} }
+  };
+  const pauseButton = {
+    disabled: false,
+    innerHTML: '',
+    setAttribute() {},
+    classList: { add() {}, remove() {} }
+  };
+  const blackoutButton = {
+    disabled: false,
+    innerHTML: '',
+    setAttribute() {},
+    classList: { add() {}, remove() {} }
+  };
+  const forms = [
+    {
+      getAttribute(name) {
+        if (name === 'data-screen-command-action') {
+          return 'reload';
+        }
+        return '';
+      },
+      setAttribute() {},
+      querySelector(selector) {
+        if (selector === 'button[type="submit"]') {
+          return reloadButton;
+        }
+        return null;
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      getAttribute(name) {
+        if (name === 'data-screen-command-action') {
+          return 'pause';
+        }
+        return '';
+      },
+      setAttribute() {},
+      querySelector(selector) {
+        if (selector === 'button[type="submit"]') {
+          return pauseButton;
+        }
+        if (selector === 'input[name="paused"]') {
+          return pauseInput;
+        }
+        return null;
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      getAttribute(name) {
+        if (name === 'data-screen-command-action') {
+          return 'blackout';
+        }
+        return '';
+      },
+      setAttribute() {},
+      querySelector(selector) {
+        if (selector === 'button[type="submit"]') {
+          return blackoutButton;
+        }
+        if (selector === 'input[name="blackout"]') {
+          return blackoutInput;
+        }
+        return null;
+      }
+    }
+  ];
+  const select = {
+    value: '',
+    options: [
+      { textContent: 'Select Screen Group', getAttribute() { return ''; } },
+      { textContent: 'Lobby', getAttribute(name) { return name === 'data-screen-name' ? 'Lobby' : ''; } },
+      { textContent: 'All Screens', getAttribute(name) { return name === 'data-screen-name' ? 'All screens' : ''; } }
+    ],
+    selectedIndex: 0,
+    dataset: {},
+    addEventListener(type, handler) {
+      if (type === 'change') {
+        this.changeHandler = handler;
+      }
+    }
+  };
+  const context = {
+    document: {
+      body: {
+        classList: {
+          toggle() {},
+          add() {},
+          remove() {}
+        }
+      },
+      getElementById(id) {
+        if (id === 'screen-command-select') {
+          return select;
+        }
+        if (id === 'dashboard-clients-table') {
+          return { getAttribute() { return 'false'; } };
+        }
+        if (id === 'dashboard-clients-table-body') {
+          return null;
+        }
+        return null;
+      },
+      querySelector(selector) {
+        if (selector === '[data-screen-command-select]') {
+          return select;
+        }
+        return null;
+      },
+      querySelectorAll(selector) {
+        if (selector === '[data-screen-command-form]') {
+          return forms;
+        }
+        return [];
+      },
+      addEventListener() {}
+    },
+    window: {
+      location: {
+        search: '',
+        protocol: 'http:',
+        host: 'example.test'
+      },
+      webUiHelpers: {
+        escapeHtml(value) { return String(value); },
+        formatDashboardDate(value) { return String(value); },
+        getClientRowKey(client) { return String(client && client.id || ''); },
+        getClientDisplayName(client) { return String(client && (client.client_name || client.name || client.clientId) || ''); },
+        setButtonVariant() {},
+        normalizeDisplayIp(value) { return String(value); }
+      },
+      WebSocket: null,
+      setTimeout() { return 1; },
+      clearTimeout() {},
+      alert() {},
+      prompt() {
+        return null;
+      },
+      webHandleDashboardState() {}
+    },
+    WebSocket: function MockWebSocket() {},
+    JSON: JSON,
+    Number: Number,
+    String: String,
+    Boolean: Boolean,
+    Array: Array,
+    Object: Object,
+    Math: Math,
+    Set: Set,
+    URLSearchParams: URLSearchParams,
+    FormData: function FormData() {}
+  };
+  context.window.document = context.document;
+  context.window.WebSocket = context.WebSocket;
+
+  vm.runInNewContext(script, context);
+
+  assert.equal(reloadButton.disabled, true);
+  assert.equal(pauseButton.disabled, true);
+  assert.equal(blackoutButton.disabled, true);
+
+  select.value = 'lobby';
+  select.selectedIndex = 1;
+  select.changeHandler();
+
+  assert.equal(reloadButton.disabled, false);
+  assert.equal(pauseButton.disabled, false);
+  assert.equal(blackoutButton.disabled, false);
+});