--- a/devtools/client/webconsole/reducers/messages.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webconsole/reducers/messages.js
@@ -341,19 +341,57 @@ function messages(state = MessageState()
         if (visible) {
           messagesToShow.push(msgId);
         } else if (DEFAULT_FILTERS.includes(cause)) {
           filtered.global = filtered.global + 1;
           filtered[cause] = filtered[cause] + 1;
         }
       });
 
+      // if msg is part of group, then add all parents
+      let parentMsgIds = [];
+      messagesToShow.forEach(msgId => {
+        let groupIds = [];
+        let message = messagesById.get(msgId);
+        // push the immediate parent
+        groupIds.push(message.groupId);
+        // push all ancestors
+        if (state.groupsById.get(message.groupId)) {
+          groupIds.push(...state.groupsById.get(message.groupId));
+        }
+
+        groupIds.forEach(groupId => {
+          if (!parentMsgIds.includes(groupId)) {
+            parentMsgIds.push(groupId);
+          }
+        });
+      });
+
+      // if msg is a group then add all its children
+      let childIds = [];
+      messagesById.forEach((message, msgId) => {
+        if (messagesToShow.includes(message.groupId) || childIds.includes(message.groupId)) {
+          childIds.push(msgId);
+        }
+      });
+
+      let finalMsgsToShow = [];
+      messagesById.forEach((message, msgId) => {
+        if (childIds.includes(msgId) || // if message is a group, all children of that group should be shown
+            messagesToShow.includes(msgId) || // the individual filtered message
+            parentMsgIds.includes(msgId)) { // if message is being shown, then all ancestors should be shown
+          if (!finalMsgsToShow.includes(msgId)) {
+            finalMsgsToShow.push(msgId)
+          }
+        }
+      });
+
       return {
         ...state,
-        visibleMessages: messagesToShow,
+        visibleMessages: finalMsgsToShow,
         filteredMessagesCount: filtered,
       };
   }
 
   return state;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -586,24 +624,16 @@ function getMessageVisibility(message, m
     && !isInOpenedGroup(message, messagesState.groupsById, messagesState.messagesUiById)
   ) {
     return {
       visible: false,
       cause: "closedGroup"
     };
   }
 
-  // Some messages can't be filtered out (e.g. groups).
-  // So, always return visible: true for those.
-  if (isUnfilterable(message)) {
-    return {
-      visible: true
-    };
-  }
-
   if (!passSearchFilters(message, filtersState)) {
     return {
       visible: false,
       cause: FILTERS.TEXT
     };
   }
 
   // Let's check all level filters (error, warn, log, …) and return visible: false