diff --git a/ecoscope/io/async_earthranger.py b/ecoscope/io/async_earthranger.py
index b78c1d53..4c02fc1e 100644
--- a/ecoscope/io/async_earthranger.py
+++ b/ecoscope/io/async_earthranger.py
@@ -419,10 +419,7 @@ async def get_patrol_observations_with_patrol_filter(
         relocations : ecoscope.base.Relocations
         """
         observations = ecoscope.base.Relocations()
-        df_pt = None
-
-        if include_patrol_details:
-            df_pt = await self.get_patrol_types_dataframe()
+        df_pt = await self.get_patrol_types_dataframe() if include_patrol_details else None
 
         tasks = []
         async for patrol in self.get_patrols(since=since, until=until, patrol_type=patrol_type, status=status):
@@ -432,6 +429,9 @@ async def get_patrol_observations_with_patrol_filter(
         observations = await asyncio.gather(*tasks)
         observations = pd.concat(observations)
 
+        if include_patrol_details:
+            observations["groupby_col"] = observations["patrol_id"]
+
         return observations
 
     async def _get_observations_by_patrol(self, patrol, relocations=True, tz="UTC", patrol_types=None, **kwargs):
diff --git a/ecoscope/io/earthranger.py b/ecoscope/io/earthranger.py
index 4149e321..fa30d8d3 100644
--- a/ecoscope/io/earthranger.py
+++ b/ecoscope/io/earthranger.py
@@ -895,6 +895,7 @@ def get_patrol_observations(self, patrols_df, include_patrol_details=False, **kw
                             )
                         )
                     if len(observation) > 0:
+                        observation["groupby_col"] = patrol["id"]
                         observations.append(observation)
                 except Exception as e:
                     print(
diff --git a/tests/test_asyncearthranger_io.py b/tests/test_asyncearthranger_io.py
index c0961d1f..caa06937 100644
--- a/tests/test_asyncearthranger_io.py
+++ b/tests/test_asyncearthranger_io.py
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ async def test_get_patrol_observations_with_patrol_details(
     assert not observations.empty
     assert set(observations.columns) == set(get_patrol_observations_fields).union(get_patrol_details_fields)
     assert type(observations["fixtime"] == pd.Timestamp)
+    pd.testing.assert_series_equal(observations["patrol_id"], observations["groupby_col"], check_names=False)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
diff --git a/tests/test_earthranger_io.py b/tests/test_earthranger_io.py
index 13cb1fc2..e04d0acb 100644
--- a/tests/test_earthranger_io.py
+++ b/tests/test_earthranger_io.py
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ def test_get_patrol_observations_with_patrol_details(er_io):
     assert not observations.empty
     assert "patrol_id" in observations.columns
     assert "patrol_title" in observations.columns
+    pd.testing.assert_series_equal(observations["patrol_id"], observations["groupby_col"], check_names=False)
 
 
 def test_users(er_io):