diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_options.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_options.h
index e466a242..79d5aba7 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_options.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/fragment_order_options.h
@@ -23,14 +23,22 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <iosfwd>
+#include <string>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 namespace dwarfs::writer {
 
-// TODO: rename? -> inode_order_mode / fragment_order_mode
-enum class fragment_order_mode { NONE, PATH, REVPATH, SIMILARITY, NILSIMSA };
+enum class fragment_order_mode {
+  NONE,
+  PATH,
+  REVPATH,
+  SIMILARITY,
+  NILSIMSA,
+  EXPLICIT
+};
 
-// TODO: rename? -> inode_order_options / fragment_order_options
 struct fragment_order_options {
   static constexpr int const kDefaultNilsimsaMaxChildren{16384};
   static constexpr int const kDefaultNilsimsaMaxClusterSize{16384};
@@ -38,6 +46,8 @@ struct fragment_order_options {
   fragment_order_mode mode{fragment_order_mode::NONE};
   int nilsimsa_max_children{kDefaultNilsimsaMaxChildren};
   int nilsimsa_max_cluster_size{kDefaultNilsimsaMaxClusterSize};
+  std::string explicit_order_file{};
+  std::unordered_map<std::filesystem::path, size_t> explicit_order{};
 };
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, fragment_order_mode mode);
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_manager.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_manager.h
index 4059068a..ef4ebdeb 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_manager.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_manager.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <cstddef>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <functional>
 #include <iosfwd>
 #include <memory>
@@ -77,7 +78,9 @@ class inode_manager {
     size_t total_size{0};
   };
 
-  inode_manager(logger& lgr, progress& prog, inode_options const& opts);
+  inode_manager(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
+                std::filesystem::path const& root_path,
+                inode_options const& opts);
 
   std::shared_ptr<inode> create_inode() { return impl_->create_inode(); }
 
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_ordering.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_ordering.h
index d1e4ec6e..270d3446 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_ordering.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/internal/inode_ordering.h
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <memory>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 #include <dwarfs/writer/internal/inode.h>
 
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ class worker_group;
 namespace writer {
 
 struct inode_options;
+struct fragment_order_options;
 
 namespace internal {
 
@@ -71,6 +74,12 @@ class inode_ordering {
     impl_->by_nilsimsa(wg, opts, sp, cat);
   }
 
+  void by_explicit_order(sortable_inode_span& sp,
+                         std::filesystem::path const& root_path,
+                         fragment_order_options const& opts) const {
+    impl_->by_explicit_order(sp, root_path, opts);
+  }
+
   class impl {
    public:
     virtual ~impl() = default;
@@ -84,6 +93,10 @@ class inode_ordering {
     by_nilsimsa(dwarfs::internal::worker_group& wg,
                 similarity_ordering_options const& opts,
                 sortable_inode_span& sp, fragment_category cat) const = 0;
+    virtual void
+    by_explicit_order(sortable_inode_span& sp,
+                      std::filesystem::path const& root_path,
+                      fragment_order_options const& opts) const = 0;
   };
 
  private:
diff --git a/src/writer/fragment_order_options.cpp b/src/writer/fragment_order_options.cpp
index 4d5a1511..266c119e 100644
--- a/src/writer/fragment_order_options.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/fragment_order_options.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, fragment_order_mode mode) {
   case fragment_order_mode::NILSIMSA:
     modestr = "nilsimsa";
     break;
+  case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT:
+    modestr = "explicit";
+    break;
   }
 
   return os << modestr;
diff --git a/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp b/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
index b820044c..c14b3297 100644
--- a/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/fragment_order_parser.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <array>
+#include <fstream>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ constexpr std::array order_choices{
     std::pair{"revpath"sv, fragment_order_mode::REVPATH},
     std::pair{"similarity"sv, fragment_order_mode::SIMILARITY},
     std::pair{"nilsimsa"sv, fragment_order_mode::NILSIMSA},
+    std::pair{"explicit"sv, fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT},
 };
 
 } // namespace
@@ -95,6 +97,21 @@ fragment_order_parser::parse(std::string_view arg) const {
       }
       break;
 
+    case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT: {
+      auto file = om.get<std::string>("file");
+      std::ifstream ifs{file};
+      if (!ifs) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            fmt::format("failed to open explicit order file '{}'", file));
+      }
+      std::string line;
+      while (std::getline(ifs, line)) {
+        auto const path = std::filesystem::path{line}.relative_path();
+        rv.explicit_order[path] = rv.explicit_order.size();
+      }
+      rv.explicit_order_file = std::move(file);
+    } break;
+
     default:
       throw std::runtime_error(
           fmt::format("inode order mode '{}' does not support options", algo));
@@ -125,6 +142,9 @@ fragment_order_parser::to_string(fragment_order_options const& opts) const {
     return fmt::format("nilsimsa:max_children={}:max_cluster_size={}",
                        opts.nilsimsa_max_children,
                        opts.nilsimsa_max_cluster_size);
+
+  case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT:
+    return fmt::format("explicit:file={}", opts.explicit_order_file);
   }
   return "<unknown>";
 }
diff --git a/src/writer/internal/inode_manager.cpp b/src/writer/internal/inode_manager.cpp
index 11acbf60..6e8c9ae8 100644
--- a/src/writer/internal/inode_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/internal/inode_manager.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 namespace dwarfs::writer::internal {
 
 using namespace dwarfs::internal;
+namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -430,6 +431,7 @@ class inode_ : public inode {
       case fragment_order_mode::NONE:
       case fragment_order_mode::PATH:
       case fragment_order_mode::REVPATH:
+      case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT:
         break;
       case fragment_order_mode::SIMILARITY:
         sc.try_emplace(cat);
@@ -493,6 +495,7 @@ class inode_ : public inode {
     case fragment_order_mode::NONE:
     case fragment_order_mode::PATH:
     case fragment_order_mode::REVPATH:
+    case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT:
       break;
 
     case fragment_order_mode::SIMILARITY: {
@@ -545,9 +548,11 @@ class inode_ : public inode {
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 class inode_manager_ final : public inode_manager::impl {
  public:
-  inode_manager_(logger& lgr, progress& prog, inode_options const& opts)
+  inode_manager_(logger& lgr, progress& prog, fs::path const& root_path,
+                 inode_options const& opts)
       : LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
       , prog_(prog)
+      , root_path_{root_path}
       , opts_{opts}
       , inodes_need_scanning_{inodes_need_scanning(opts_)} {}
 
@@ -657,6 +662,7 @@ class inode_manager_ final : public inode_manager::impl {
   LOG_PROXY_DECL(LoggerPolicy);
   std::vector<std::shared_ptr<inode>> inodes_;
   progress& prog_;
+  fs::path const root_path_;
   inode_options opts_;
   bool const inodes_need_scanning_;
   std::atomic<size_t> mutable num_invalid_inodes_{0};
@@ -816,14 +822,25 @@ auto inode_manager_<LoggerPolicy>::ordered_span(fragment_category cat,
     tv << prefix << span.size() << " inodes ordered";
     break;
   }
+
+  case fragment_order_mode::EXPLICIT: {
+    LOG_VERBOSE << prefix << "ordering " << span.size()
+                << " inodes by explicit order...";
+    auto tv = LOG_CPU_TIMED_VERBOSE;
+    order.by_explicit_order(span, root_path_, opts);
+    tv << prefix << span.size() << " inodes ordered";
+    break;
+  }
   }
 
   return span;
 }
 
 inode_manager::inode_manager(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
+                             fs::path const& root_path,
                              inode_options const& opts)
     : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<impl, internal::inode_manager_,
-                                       logger_policies>(lgr, prog, opts)) {}
+                                       logger_policies>(lgr, prog, root_path,
+                                                        opts)) {}
 
 } // namespace dwarfs::writer::internal
diff --git a/src/writer/internal/inode_ordering.cpp b/src/writer/internal/inode_ordering.cpp
index b1fd1ec5..8493eb1e 100644
--- a/src/writer/internal/inode_ordering.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/internal/inode_ordering.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 namespace dwarfs::writer::internal {
 
 using namespace dwarfs::internal;
+namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ class inode_ordering_ final : public inode_ordering::impl {
   void
   by_nilsimsa(worker_group& wg, similarity_ordering_options const& opts,
               sortable_inode_span& sp, fragment_category cat) const override;
+  void by_explicit_order(sortable_inode_span& sp, fs::path const& root_path,
+                         fragment_order_options const& opts) const override;
 
  private:
   void
@@ -207,6 +210,46 @@ void inode_ordering_<LoggerPolicy>::by_nilsimsa_impl(
   future.get().swap(index);
 }
 
+template <typename LoggerPolicy>
+void inode_ordering_<LoggerPolicy>::by_explicit_order(
+    sortable_inode_span& sp, fs::path const& root_path,
+    fragment_order_options const& opts) const {
+  auto raw = sp.raw();
+  auto& index = sp.index();
+  auto const& order = opts.explicit_order;
+
+  if (order.empty()) {
+    LOG_WARN << "empty explicit order file set";
+  }
+
+  std::vector<std::filesystem::path> paths;
+  std::vector<std::optional<size_t>> path_order;
+  paths.resize(raw.size());
+  path_order.resize(raw.size());
+
+  for (auto i : index) {
+    paths[i] = fs::relative(raw[i]->any()->fs_path(), root_path);
+
+    if (auto it = order.find(paths[i]); it != order.end()) {
+      path_order[i] = it->second;
+    } else {
+      LOG_DEBUG << "explicit order: " << paths[i]
+                << " not found in explicit order file";
+    }
+  }
+
+  std::sort(index.begin(), index.end(), [&](auto a, auto b) {
+    auto const& ai = path_order[a];
+    auto const& bi = path_order[b];
+    return ai.has_value() && bi.has_value() ? *ai < *bi
+                                            : raw[a]->num() < raw[b]->num();
+  });
+
+  for (auto i : index) {
+    LOG_DEBUG << "explicit order: " << paths[i];
+  }
+}
+
 inode_ordering::inode_ordering(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
                                inode_options const& opts)
     : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<impl, internal::inode_ordering_,
diff --git a/src/writer/scanner.cpp b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
index 7b3c9101..e8f1d2f1 100644
--- a/src/writer/scanner.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/scanner.cpp
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(
 
   prog.set_status_function(status_string);
 
-  inode_manager im(LOG_GET_LOGGER, prog, options_.inode);
+  inode_manager im(LOG_GET_LOGGER, prog, path, options_.inode);
   file_scanner fs(LOG_GET_LOGGER, wg_, os_, im, prog,
                   {.hash_algo = options_.file_hash_algorithm,
                    .debug_inode_create = os_.getenv(kEnvVarDumpFilesRaw) ||