diff --git a/modules/audit/i18n/default_de.json b/modules/audit/i18n/default_de.json
index 29323da..165c72b 100644
--- a/modules/audit/i18n/default_de.json
+++ b/modules/audit/i18n/default_de.json
@@ -67,5 +67,6 @@
   "Lifecycle runs (7d)": "Lifecycle-Läufe (7d)",
   "Lifecycle risks (7d)": "Lifecycle-Risiken (7d)",
   "Top lifecycle reason codes (7d)": "Top-Lifecycle-Fehlercodes (7d)",
-  "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)": "Aktuelle Lifecycle-Risiken (7d)"
+  "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)": "Aktuelle Lifecycle-Risiken (7d)",
+  "Audit & logs": "Audit & Protokolle"
 }
diff --git a/modules/audit/i18n/default_en.json b/modules/audit/i18n/default_en.json
index aaaf994..f6ce003 100644
--- a/modules/audit/i18n/default_en.json
+++ b/modules/audit/i18n/default_en.json
@@ -67,5 +67,6 @@
   "Lifecycle runs (7d)": "Lifecycle runs (7d)",
   "Lifecycle risks (7d)": "Lifecycle risks (7d)",
   "Top lifecycle reason codes (7d)": "Top lifecycle reason codes (7d)",
-  "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)": "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)"
+  "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)": "Recent lifecycle risks (7d)",
+  "Audit & logs": "Audit & logs"
 }
diff --git a/templates/partials/app-main-aside.phtml b/templates/partials/app-main-aside.phtml
index a45279b..cac3a58 100644
--- a/templates/partials/app-main-aside.phtml
+++ b/templates/partials/app-main-aside.phtml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 use MintyPHP\Service\Docs\DocsCatalogService;
 
 $layoutAuth = is_array($viewAuth['layout'] ?? null) ? $viewAuth['layout'] : [];
+$moduleNavItemSlots = is_array(($layoutNav ?? [])['moduleSlots']['sidebar.admin_nav_item'] ?? null)
+    ? $layoutNav['moduleSlots']['sidebar.admin_nav_item']
+    : [];
 $canViewTenants = (bool) ($layoutAuth['can_view_tenants'] ?? false);
 $canViewDepartments = (bool) ($layoutAuth['can_view_departments'] ?? false);
 $canViewUsers = (bool) ($layoutAuth['can_view_users'] ?? false);
@@ -169,36 +172,66 @@ $adminNavGroups = [
     ],
 ];
 
-// ── Merge module-contributed sidebar nav items into admin groups ──
+// ── Append module-contributed admin nav groups (sidebar.admin_nav_item slot) ──
+// Module items are grouped by their 'group' key. Each unique group becomes a
+// <details><summary> section appended after the core admin nav groups.
 if ($moduleNavItemSlots) {
-    // Index groups by key for fast lookup
-    $groupIndex = [];
-    foreach ($adminNavGroups as $idx => $group) {
-        $groupIndex[$group['key'] ?? ''] = $idx;
-    }
-    // Sort module items by order, then append to matching group
+    $moduleGroupsByKey = [];
     usort($moduleNavItemSlots, static fn ($a, $b) => ($a['order'] ?? 100) <=> ($b['order'] ?? 100));
     foreach ($moduleNavItemSlots as $slot) {
         if (!is_array($slot)) { continue; }
-        $targetGroup = trim((string) ($slot['group'] ?? ''));
+        $groupKey = trim((string) ($slot['group'] ?? ''));
         $slotPath = trim((string) ($slot['path'] ?? ''));
         $slotLabel = trim((string) ($slot['label'] ?? ''));
         $slotPermission = trim((string) ($slot['permission'] ?? ''));
-        if ($targetGroup === '' || $slotPath === '' || $slotLabel === '') { continue; }
-        // Check permission via layoutAuth (module permissions are merged into layout capabilities)
+        if ($groupKey === '' || $slotPath === '' || $slotLabel === '') { continue; }
         $slotVisible = $slotPermission === '' || !empty($layoutAuth[$slotPermission]);
-        if (!isset($groupIndex[$targetGroup])) { continue; }
-        $gIdx = $groupIndex[$targetGroup];
-        $adminNavGroups[$gIdx]['items'][] = [
+        if (!isset($moduleGroupsByKey[$groupKey])) {
+            $moduleGroupsByKey[$groupKey] = [];
+        }
+        $moduleGroupsByKey[$groupKey][] = [
             'label' => t($slotLabel),
             'path' => $slotPath,
             'active' => navActive($slotPath, true),
             'visible' => $slotVisible,
             'withTenant' => false,
         ];
-        if ($slotVisible) {
-            $adminNavGroups[$gIdx]['visible'] = true;
+    }
+    // Known group metadata — modules declare their group key, we map to label + icon.
+    $moduleGroupMeta = [
+        'admin-logs' => ['label' => t('Audit & logs'), 'icon' => 'bi-journal-text'],
+    ];
+    foreach ($moduleGroupsByKey as $groupKey => $items) {
+        $hasVisible = false;
+        foreach ($items as $item) {
+            if (!empty($item['visible'])) { $hasVisible = true; break; }
         }
+        // Also add mail log to the logs group if it exists as a core item
+        if ($groupKey === 'admin-logs' && $canViewMailLog) {
+            array_unshift($items, [
+                'label' => t('Mail logs'),
+                'path' => 'admin/mail-log',
+                'active' => navActive('admin/mail-log', true),
+                'visible' => $canViewMailLog,
+                'withTenant' => false,
+            ]);
+            $hasVisible = true;
+        }
+        $meta = $moduleGroupMeta[$groupKey] ?? ['label' => $groupKey, 'icon' => 'bi-list'];
+        $adminNavGroups[] = [
+            'key' => $groupKey,
+            'label' => $meta['label'],
+            'icon' => $meta['icon'],
+            'visible' => $hasVisible,
+            'items' => $items,
+        ];
+    }
+    // If modules contributed to admin-logs, remove the core-only logs group (which only had mail log)
+    if (isset($moduleGroupsByKey['admin-logs'])) {
+        $adminNavGroups = array_values(array_filter($adminNavGroups, static function ($g) {
+            // Remove the original core logs group (it's been merged into the module-contributed one)
+            return !(($g['key'] ?? '') === 'admin-logs' && count($g['items'] ?? []) === 1 && ($g['items'][0]['path'] ?? '') === 'admin/mail-log');
+        }));
     }
 }
 
@@ -266,7 +299,6 @@ $csrfToken = (string) ($layoutNav['csrfToken'] ?? '');
 $moduleSlots = is_array($layoutNav['moduleSlots'] ?? null) ? $layoutNav['moduleSlots'] : [];
 $modulePanelSlots = is_array($moduleSlots['aside.tab_panel'] ?? null) ? $moduleSlots['aside.tab_panel'] : [];
 $moduleSearchSlots = is_array($moduleSlots['search.resource_item'] ?? null) ? $moduleSlots['search.resource_item'] : [];
-$moduleNavItemSlots = is_array($moduleSlots['sidebar.admin_nav_item'] ?? null) ? $moduleSlots['sidebar.admin_nav_item'] : [];
 ?>
 <aside class="app-sidebar" id="app-sidebar" data-app-component="sidebar-toggle">
     <?php if ($currentTenant): ?>