diff --git a/.github/actions/validate-deploy/action.yml b/.github/actions/validate-deploy/action.yml
index 74985d6..994cc2b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/validate-deploy/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/validate-deploy/action.yml
@@ -12,26 +12,19 @@ runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
       #
-      # Diff
+      # Diff List
       # List index changes
       #
       
-      - name: "Diff"
+      - name: "Diff List"
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          $gitDiff = git diff --name-status HEAD^ HEAD
+          Import-PSFConfig -Path settings.json -Schema MetaJson -EnableException
+          $stateDir = Get-PSFConfigValue -FullName 'AzOps.Core.State'
+          $gitDiff = git diff --name-status HEAD^ HEAD -- "$stateDir"
           if ($null -ne $gitDiff) {
             $gitDiff | Write-Host
             $gitDiff | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diff.txt'
-            
-            $deletedContent = git diff --diff-filter=D HEAD^ HEAD --no-prefix --no-renames
-            if($null -ne $deletedContent) {
-                $deletedContent = $deletedContent -match '^-' -replace '^([^-+ ]*)[-+ ]', '$1'
-                Write-Host '##[group]Deleted files content'
-                $deletedContent | Write-Host
-                Write-Host '##[endgroup]'
-                $deletedContent | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt'
-            }
           }
           else {
             Write-Error -Message 'The validation pipeline failed because there is currently no change to be processed'
@@ -50,7 +43,33 @@ runs:
           ./.scripts/customSorting.ps1
 
       #
-      # Deploy
+      # Diff
+      # Get content from list
+      #
+      
+      - name: "Diff"
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $diff = Get-Content -Path '/tmp/diff.txt'
+          $deletedContent = $(foreach ($change in $diff) {
+            $path = ($change -split "`t")[-1]
+            $fileDelContent = git diff --diff-filter=D HEAD^ HEAD --no-prefix --no-renames -- "$path"
+            if($null -ne $fileDelContent) {
+                $fileDelContent = $fileDelContent -match '^-' -replace '^([^-+ ]*)[-+ ]', '$1'
+                Write-Output -InputObject $fileDelContent
+            }
+          }) | Where-Object { $_ }
+
+          if ($deletedContent.Count -gt 0) {
+            Write-Host '##[group]Deleted files content'
+            $deletedContent | Write-Host
+            Write-Host '##[endgroup]'
+            $deletedContent | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt'
+          }
+
+      #
+      # Validate or Deploy
+      # If parameter "deploy" is set to true, then deploy the changes,
       # Initial deployment of any index changes
       #
 
diff --git a/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml b/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
index bc2391d..5c283e2 100644
--- a/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
+++ b/.pipelines/.templates/validate-deploy.yml
@@ -5,39 +5,32 @@ parameters:
 
 steps:
 
-    #
-    # Diff
-    # List index changes
-    #
-
+  #
+  # Diff List
+  # List index changes
+  #
+    
   - task: PowerShell@2
-    displayName: "Diff"
+    displayName: "Diff List"
     inputs:
       targetType: "inline"
       script: |
-        $gitDiff = git diff --name-status HEAD^ HEAD
-        if($null -ne $gitDiff) {
-            $gitDiff | Write-Host
-            $gitDiff | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diff.txt'
-            
-            $deletedContent = git diff --diff-filter=D HEAD^ HEAD --no-prefix --no-renames
-            if($null -ne $deletedContent) {
-                $deletedContent = $deletedContent -match '^-' -replace '^([^-+ ]*)[-+ ]', '$1'
-                Write-Host '##[group]Deleted files content'
-                $deletedContent | Write-Host
-                Write-Host '##[endgroup]'
-                $deletedContent | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt'
-            }
+        Import-PSFConfig -Path settings.json -Schema MetaJson -EnableException
+        $stateDir = Get-PSFConfigValue -FullName 'AzOps.Core.State'
+        $gitDiff = git diff --name-status HEAD^ HEAD -- "$stateDir"
+        if ($null -ne $gitDiff) {
+          $gitDiff | Write-Host
+          $gitDiff | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diff.txt'
         }
         else {
-            Write-Host '##[error]The validation pipeline failed because there is currently no change to be processed'
-            exit 1
+          Write-Host '##[error]The validation pipeline failed because there is currently no change to be processed'
+          exit 1
         }
 
-    #
-    # CustomSorting
-    # If CustomSorting is enabled, sort files in diff by the .order file in each directory
-    #
+  #
+  # CustomSorting
+  # If CustomSorting is enabled, sort files in diff by the .order file in each directory
+  #
 
   - task: PowerShell@2
     displayName: "CustomSorting"
@@ -46,6 +39,33 @@ steps:
       targetType: "filePath"
       filePath: ".scripts/customSorting.ps1"
 
+  #
+  # Diff
+  # Get content from list
+  #
+    
+  - task: PowerShell@2
+    displayName: "Diff"
+    inputs:
+      targetType: "inline"
+      script: |
+        $diff = Get-Content -Path '/tmp/diff.txt'
+        $deletedContent = $(foreach ($change in $diff) {
+          $path = ($change -split "`t")[-1]
+          $fileDelContent = git diff --diff-filter=D HEAD^ HEAD --no-prefix --no-renames -- "$path"
+          if($null -ne $fileDelContent) {
+              $fileDelContent = $fileDelContent -match '^-' -replace '^([^-+ ]*)[-+ ]', '$1'
+              Write-Output -InputObject $fileDelContent
+          }
+        }) | Where-Object { $_ }
+
+        if ($deletedContent.Count -gt 0) {
+          Write-Host '##[group]Deleted files content'
+          $deletedContent | Write-Host
+          Write-Host '##[endgroup]'
+          $deletedContent | Out-File -FilePath '/tmp/diffdeletedfiles.txt'
+        }
+
   #
   # Validate or Deploy
   # If parameter "deploy" is set to true, then deploy the changes,
diff --git a/.scripts/customSorting.ps1 b/.scripts/customSorting.ps1
index e48b38f..40ae5cf 100644
--- a/.scripts/customSorting.ps1
+++ b/.scripts/customSorting.ps1
@@ -9,15 +9,22 @@ $EndGroup = $ENV:CI ? '::endgroup::' : '##[endgroup]'
 $diff = Get-Content -Path $DiffFilePath
 
 Write-Host "${StartGroup}Files found in diff:"
-
 $diff | Write-Host
+Write-Host "$EndGroup"
+
 $diffTable = @{}
 $diff | ForEach-Object -Process {
     $change = $_
-    $path = ($change -split "`t")[-1]
+    # there can be 2 elements for Add, Delete, Modify operations
+    # there can be 3 elements if it's a rename
+    $changeParts = ($change -split "`t")
+    $operation = $changeParts[0]
+    $path = $changeParts[-1]
+    
     $entry = [pscustomobject]@{
         fileName   = Split-Path -Path $path -Leaf
         directory  = Split-Path -Path $path -Parent
+        operation  = $operation
         diffString = $change
     }
     if ($null -eq $diffTable[$entry.directory]) {
@@ -27,20 +34,38 @@ $diff | ForEach-Object -Process {
         $diffTable[$entry.directory][$entry.fileName] = $entry
     }
 }
-$sortedDiff = foreach ($directoryPath in ($diffTable.Keys | Sort-Object)) {
+$sortedDiff = $(foreach ($directoryPath in ($diffTable.Keys | Sort-Object)) {
     $orderPath = [System.IO.Path]::Combine($directoryPath,'.order')
     if (Test-Path -Path $orderPath) {
         $order = Get-Content -Path $orderPath | ForEach-Object { $_.Trim() }
-        foreach ($orderName in $order) {
+        $deleteSortedDiffs = @()
+        $addSortedDiffs = foreach ($orderName in $order) {
             if ($null -ne $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName) {
-                Write-Output -InputObject $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName.diffString
+                $diffString = $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName.diffString
+                $operation = $diffTable.$directoryPath.$orderName.operation
                 $diffTable.$directoryPath.Remove($orderName)
+                if ($operation -eq 'D') {
+                    $deleteSortedDiffs += $diffString
+                    continue
+                }
+                elseif ($operation -in 'A', 'M', 'R' -or $operation -match '^R0[0-9][0-9]$') {
+                    Write-Output -InputObject $diffString
+                }
+                else {
+                    Write-Error -Message "Invalid changeset type '$operation' for $diffString"
+                }
             }
         }
+        # Deletes should happen in reverse order to add/modifys
+        [array]::Reverse($deleteSortedDiffs)
+
+        Write-Output -InputObject $addSortedDiffs
+        Write-Output -InputObject $deleteSortedDiffs
     }
-    Write-Output ($diffTable.$directoryPath.Values.diffString | Sort-Object)
-}
-Write-Host "$EndGroup"
+    # make sure to return unaddressed diffs too
+    Write-Output -InputObject ($diffTable.$directoryPath.Values.diffString | Sort-Object)
+}) | Where-Object { $_ }
+
 Write-Host "${StartGroup}Sorted files:"
 
 $sortedDiff | Write-Host