diff --git a/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml b/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
index c38e859..6258cdd 100644
--- a/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
+++ b/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ steps:
             exit 1
         }
 
+    #
+    # CustomSorting
+    # If CustomSorting is enabled, sort files in diff by the .order file in each directory
+    #
+
+  - task: PowerShell@2
+    displayName: "CustomSorting"
+    condition: eq(variables['AZOPS_CUSTOM_SORT_ORDER'],'true')
+    inputs:
+      targetType: "filePath"
+      filePath: ".scripts/customSorting.ps1"
+
   #
   # Validate or Deploy
   # If parameter "deploy" is set to true, then deploy the changes,
@@ -49,15 +61,16 @@ steps:
       targetType: "inline"
       script: |
         $Env:PSModulePath = $Env:PSModulePath, '$(modulesFolder)' -join [IO.Path]::PathSeparator
+        $CustomSortOrder = $Env:AZOPS_CUSTOM_SORT_ORDER -eq 'true'
         $RunWhatIf = -not ('${{parameters.deploy}}' -eq 'true')
         Import-PSFConfig -Path settings.json -Schema MetaJson -EnableException
         Initialize-AzOpsEnvironment
         $diff = Get-Content -Path /tmp/diff.txt
         if(Test-Path -Path "/tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt") {
           $diffdeletedfiles = Get-Content -Path /tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt
-          Invoke-AzOpsPush -ChangeSet $diff -DeleteSetContents $diffdeletedfiles -WhatIf:$RunWhatIf
+          Invoke-AzOpsPush -ChangeSet $diff -DeleteSetContents $diffdeletedfiles -WhatIf:$RunWhatIf -CustomSortOrder:$CustomSortOrder
         } 
         else {
-          Invoke-AzOpsPush -ChangeSet $diff -WhatIf:$RunWhatIf
+          Invoke-AzOpsPush -ChangeSet $diff -WhatIf:$RunWhatIf -CustomSortOrder:$CustomSortOrder
         }
         Get-Job | Remove-Job -Force
diff --git a/.pipelines/.templates/vars.yml b/.pipelines/.templates/vars.yml
index 8744961..08d4087 100644
--- a/.pipelines/.templates/vars.yml
+++ b/.pipelines/.templates/vars.yml
@@ -11,15 +11,22 @@ variables:
   # Set AZOPS_MODULE_VERSION to the desired version of the 
   # AzOps Module to enable version pinning. No value will cache the latest release.
   #
+  # Set AZOPS_CUSTOM_SORT_ORDER to true to enable custom sorting.
+  # Custom sorting will check for a file named .order in each folder.
+  # Files listed in the .order file will be deployed before other files and in the 
+  # order they are listed.
+  #
   # - ARM_TENANT_ID
   # - ARM_SUBSCRIPTION_ID
   # - ARM_CLIENT_ID
   # - ARM_CLIENT_SECRET
   # - ARM_ENVIRONMENT
   # - AZOPS_MODULE_VERSION   
+  # - AZOPS_CUSTOM_SORT_ORDER 
   #
 
   - group: credentials
+  - group: azops
   
   #
   # modulesFolder
diff --git a/.scripts/customSorting.ps1 b/.scripts/customSorting.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..313b1f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.scripts/customSorting.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+param(
+    $DiffFilePath = '/tmp/diff.txt'
+)
+
+# IF $ENV:CI exists, we assume we are in GitHub, otherwise Azure DevOps
+$StartGroup = $ENV:CI ? '::group::' : '##[group]'
+$EndGroup = $ENV:CI ? '::endgroup::' : '##[endgroup]'
+
+$diff = Get-Content -Path $DiffFilePath
+
+Write-Host "${StartGroup}Files found in diff:"
+
+$diff | Write-Host
+$diffTable = @{}
+$diff | ForEach-Object -Process {
+    $change = $_
+    $path = ($change -split "`t")[-1]
+    $entry = [pscustomobject]@{
+        fileName   = Split-Path -Path $path -Leaf
+        directory  = Split-Path -Path $path -Parent
+        diffString = $change
+    }
+    if ($null -eq $diffTable[$entry.directory]) {
+        $diffTable[$entry.directory] = @{}
+    }
+    if ($entry.fileName -ne '.order') {
+        $diffTable[$entry.directory][$entry.fileName] = $entry
+    }
+}
+$sortedDiff = foreach ($directoryPath in ($diffTable.Keys | Sort-Object)) {
+    $orderPath = Join-Path -Path $directoryPath -ChildPath '.order'
+    if (Test-Path -Path $orderPath) {
+        $order = Get-Content -Path $orderPath | ForEach-Object { $_.Trim() }
+        foreach ($orderName in $order) {
+            if ($null -ne $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName) {
+                Write-Output -InputObject $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName.diffString
+                $diffTable.$directoryPath.Remove($orderName)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Write-Output ($diffTable.$directoryPath.Values.diffString | Sort-Object)
+}
+Write-Host "$EndGroup"
+Write-Host "${StartGroup}Sorted files:"
+
+$sortedDiff | Write-Host
+
+Write-Host "$EndGroup"
+
+$sortedDiff | Out-File -Path $DiffFilePath
\ No newline at end of file