diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5ce8204..201a37a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ Example
 
 - Type: string
 - Required: false
-- Default: `${project.basedir}/target/generated-sources`
+- Default: `${project.build.directory}/generated-sources`
 
 Example:
 
@@ -312,12 +312,24 @@ Example:
 
 - Type: string
 - Required: false
-- Default: `${project.basedir}/target/generated-examples`
+- Default: `${project.build.directory}/generated-examples`
 
 Example:
 
 ```xml
-<outputDir>${project.build.directory}/generated-examples</outputDir>
+<exampleOutputDir>${project.build.directory}/generated-examples</exampleOutputDir>
+```
+
+## schemaManifestOutputDir
+
+- Type: string
+- Required: false
+- Default: `${project.build.directory}/graphqlcodegen`
+
+Example:
+
+```xml
+<schemaManifestOutputDir>${project.build.directory}/graphqlcodegen</schemaManifestOutputDir>
 ```
 
 ## includeQueries
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 982ee30..abe259f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@
             <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
             <version>1.5.6</version>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>nu.studer</groupId>
+            <artifactId>java-ordered-properties</artifactId>
+            <version>1.0.4</version>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
             <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/Codegen.java b/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/Codegen.java
index 3eba6f4..706be6b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/Codegen.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/Codegen.java
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ public class Codegen extends AbstractMojo {
     @Parameter(property = "exampleOutputDir", defaultValue = "${project.build.directory}/generated-examples")
     private File exampleOutputDir;
 
+    @Parameter(property = "schemaManifestOutputDir", defaultValue = "${project.build.directory}/graphqlcodegen")
+    private File schemaManifestOutputDir;
+
     @Parameter(property = "includeQueries")
     private String[] includeQueries;
 
@@ -209,7 +212,7 @@ public void execute() {
 
             Set<File> schemaPaths = getSchemaPaths();
 
-            SchemaFileManifest manifest = new SchemaFileManifest(new File(outputDir, "schema-manifest.props"));
+            SchemaFileManifest manifest = new SchemaFileManifest(new File(schemaManifestOutputDir, "schema-manifest.props"), project.getBasedir());
 
             if (onlyGenerateChanged) {
                 manifest.setFiles(new HashSet<>(schemaPaths));
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifest.java b/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifest.java
index a7ae9f3..fd276fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import lombok.SneakyThrows;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
+import nu.studer.java.util.OrderedProperties;
+import nu.studer.java.util.OrderedProperties.OrderedPropertiesBuilder;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
@@ -11,14 +13,13 @@
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
 import java.security.MessageDigest;
 import java.util.HashSet;
-import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 @Slf4j
 public class SchemaFileManifest {
     private Set<File> files;
-    private final Properties manifest;
     private final File manifestPath;
+    private final File projectPath;
 
     /**
      * Manifest constructor loads the properties file into memory.
@@ -27,27 +28,17 @@ public class SchemaFileManifest {
      *
      * @param files
      * @param manifestPath
+     * @param projectPath
      */
-    public SchemaFileManifest(Set<File> files, File manifestPath) {
+    public SchemaFileManifest(Set<File> files, File manifestPath, File projectPath) {
         this.files = files;
         this.manifestPath = manifestPath;
-        manifest = loadManifest(manifestPath);
+        this.projectPath = projectPath;
     }
 
-    public SchemaFileManifest(File manifestPath) {
+    public SchemaFileManifest(File manifestPath, File projectPath) {
         this.manifestPath = manifestPath;
-        manifest = loadManifest(manifestPath);
-    }
-
-    @SneakyThrows
-    public static Properties loadManifest(File manifestPath) {
-        Properties properties = new Properties();
-        if (manifestPath.exists()) {
-            try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(manifestPath)) {
-                properties.load(fis);
-            }
-        }
-        return properties;
+        this.projectPath = projectPath;
     }
 
     @SneakyThrows
@@ -105,8 +96,9 @@ public void setFiles(Set<File> files) {
      */
     public Set<File> getChangedFiles() {
         Set<File> changed = new HashSet<>();
+        OrderedProperties manifest = loadManifest();
         for (File file : files) {
-            String oldChecksum = manifest.getProperty(file.getPath());
+            String oldChecksum = manifest.getProperty(relativizeToProject(file));
             if (oldChecksum == null) {
                 log.info("{} is new, will generate code", file.getName());
             } else if (!oldChecksum.equals(generateChecksum(file))) {
@@ -126,9 +118,15 @@ public Set<File> getChangedFiles() {
      */
     @SneakyThrows
     public void syncManifest() {
-        manifest.clear();
+        OrderedProperties manifest = new OrderedPropertiesBuilder()
+                .withSuppressDateInComment(true)
+                .build();
         for (File file : files) {
-            manifest.put(file.getPath(), generateChecksum(file));
+            manifest.setProperty(relativizeToProject(file), generateChecksum(file));
+        }
+
+        if (!manifestPath.exists()) {
+            manifestPath.getParentFile().mkdirs();
         }
 
         try (FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(manifestPath)) {
@@ -136,4 +134,21 @@ public void syncManifest() {
             fos.flush();
         }
     }
+
+    @SneakyThrows
+    private OrderedProperties loadManifest() {
+        OrderedProperties properties = new OrderedPropertiesBuilder()
+                .withSuppressDateInComment(true)
+                .build();
+        if (manifestPath.exists()) {
+            try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(manifestPath)) {
+                properties.load(fis);
+            }
+        }
+        return properties;
+    }
+
+    private String relativizeToProject(File file) {
+        return projectPath.toPath().relativize(file.toPath()).toString();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifestTest.java b/src/test/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifestTest.java
index 50cc766..9ce6796 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifestTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/github/deweyjose/graphqlcodegen/SchemaFileManifestTest.java
@@ -52,21 +52,21 @@ void testManifestNoChange() {
     File foo = getFile("schema/foo.graphqls");
 
     Properties properties = new Properties();
-    properties.put(bar.getPath(), "7cada13b5b8770e46f7a69e8856abdb9");
-    properties.put(foo.getPath(), "61bbd2d58c22dfb3c664829ad116f7e9");
+    properties.put(tempFolder.relativize(bar.toPath()).toString(), "7cada13b5b8770e46f7a69e8856abdb9");
+    properties.put(tempFolder.relativize(foo.toPath()).toString(), "61bbd2d58c22dfb3c664829ad116f7e9");
 
     File manifest = tempFolder.resolve("manifest.props").toFile();
     try (FileOutputStream fis = new FileOutputStream(manifest)) {
       properties.store(fis, "Schema Manifest");
     }
 
-    SchemaFileManifest sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest);
+    SchemaFileManifest sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest, tempFolder.toFile());
 
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().isEmpty());
 
     sfm.syncManifest();
 
-    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest);
+    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest, tempFolder.toFile());
 
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().isEmpty());
   }
@@ -79,18 +79,18 @@ void testManifestRequiresChange() {
     File foo = getFile("schema/foo.graphqls");
     File manifest = tempFolder.resolve("manifest.props").toFile();
 
-    SchemaFileManifest sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest);
+    SchemaFileManifest sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest, tempFolder.toFile());
 
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().contains(foo));
 
     sfm.syncManifest();
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().isEmpty());
 
-    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest);
+    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest, tempFolder.toFile());
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().isEmpty());
     sfm.syncManifest();
 
-    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest);
+    sfm = new SchemaFileManifest(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(foo, bar)), manifest, tempFolder.toFile());
     Assertions.assertTrue(sfm.getChangedFiles().isEmpty());
   }