diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonConverter.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonConverter.java
index df0f0f0061..de97b71f32 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonConverter.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonConverter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2019 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -160,29 +160,22 @@ class JsonConverter {
 
 	private static class ItemMetadataComparator implements Comparator<ItemMetadata> {
 
+		private static final Comparator<ItemMetadata> GROUP = Comparator.comparing(ItemMetadata::getName)
+				.thenComparing(ItemMetadata::getSourceType, Comparator.nullsFirst(Comparator.naturalOrder()));
+
+		private static final Comparator<ItemMetadata> ITEM = Comparator.comparing(ItemMetadataComparator::isDeprecated)
+				.thenComparing(ItemMetadata::getName)
+				.thenComparing(ItemMetadata::getSourceType, Comparator.nullsFirst(Comparator.naturalOrder()));
+
 		@Override
 		public int compare(ItemMetadata o1, ItemMetadata o2) {
 			if (o1.isOfItemType(ItemType.GROUP)) {
-				return compareGroup(o1, o2);
-			}
-			return compareProperty(o1, o2);
-		}
-
-		private int compareGroup(ItemMetadata o1, ItemMetadata o2) {
-			return o1.getName().compareTo(o2.getName());
-		}
-
-		private int compareProperty(ItemMetadata o1, ItemMetadata o2) {
-			if (isDeprecated(o1) && !isDeprecated(o2)) {
-				return 1;
-			}
-			if (isDeprecated(o2) && !isDeprecated(o1)) {
-				return -1;
+				return GROUP.compare(o1, o2);
 			}
-			return o1.getName().compareTo(o2.getName());
+			return ITEM.compare(o1, o2);
 		}
 
-		private boolean isDeprecated(ItemMetadata item) {
+		private static boolean isDeprecated(ItemMetadata item) {
 			return item.getDeprecation() != null;
 		}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonMarshallerTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonMarshallerTests.java
index 4f3aa76175..1f9c8d241e 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonMarshallerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-configuration-processor/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/configurationprocessor/metadata/JsonMarshallerTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2019 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2021 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class JsonMarshallerTests {
 		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
 		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
 		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
-		String json = new String(outputStream.toByteArray());
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
 		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"groups\"", "\"com.acme.alpha\"", "\"com.acme.bravo\"", "\"properties\"",
 				"\"com.example.alpha.ccc\"", "\"com.example.alpha.ddd\"", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"",
 				"\"com.example.bravo.bbb\"", "\"hints\"", "\"eee\"", "\"fff\"");
@@ -100,9 +100,71 @@ class JsonMarshallerTests {
 		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
 		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
 		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
-		String json = new String(outputStream.toByteArray());
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
 		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"properties\"", "\"com.example.alpha.ddd\"", "\"com.example.bravo.bbb\"",
 				"\"com.example.alpha.ccc\"", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void orderingForSameGroupNames() throws IOException {
+		ConfigurationMetadata metadata = new ConfigurationMetadata();
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newGroup("com.acme.alpha", null, "com.example.Foo", null));
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newGroup("com.acme.alpha", null, "com.example.Bar", null));
+		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
+		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
+		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"groups\"", "\"name\": \"com.acme.alpha\"",
+				"\"sourceType\": \"com.example.Bar\"", "\"name\": \"com.acme.alpha\"",
+				"\"sourceType\": \"com.example.Foo\"");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void orderingForSamePropertyNames() throws IOException {
+		ConfigurationMetadata metadata = new ConfigurationMetadata();
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.bravo", "aaa", "java.lang.Boolean", "com.example.Foo", null,
+				null, null, null));
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.bravo", "aaa", "java.lang.Integer", "com.example.Bar", null,
+				null, null, null));
+		metadata.add(
+				ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.alpha", "ddd", null, "com.example.Bar", null, null, null, null));
+		metadata.add(
+				ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.alpha", "ccc", null, "com.example.Foo", null, null, null, null));
+		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
+		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
+		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"groups\"", "\"properties\"", "\"com.example.alpha.ccc\"",
+				"com.example.Foo", "\"com.example.alpha.ddd\"", "com.example.Bar", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"",
+				"com.example.Bar", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"", "com.example.Foo");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void orderingForSameGroupWithNullSourceType() throws IOException {
+		ConfigurationMetadata metadata = new ConfigurationMetadata();
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newGroup("com.acme.alpha", null, "com.example.Foo", null));
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newGroup("com.acme.alpha", null, null, null));
+		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
+		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
+		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"groups\"", "\"name\": \"com.acme.alpha\"",
+				"\"name\": \"com.acme.alpha\"", "\"sourceType\": \"com.example.Foo\"");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void orderingForSamePropertyNamesWithNullSourceType() throws IOException {
+		ConfigurationMetadata metadata = new ConfigurationMetadata();
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.bravo", "aaa", "java.lang.Boolean", null, null, null, null,
+				null));
+		metadata.add(ItemMetadata.newProperty("com.example.bravo", "aaa", "java.lang.Integer", "com.example.Bar", null,
+				null, null, null));
+		ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+		JsonMarshaller marshaller = new JsonMarshaller();
+		marshaller.write(metadata, outputStream);
+		String json = outputStream.toString();
+		assertThat(json).containsSubsequence("\"groups\"", "\"properties\"", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"",
+				"\"java.lang.Boolean\"", "\"com.example.bravo.aaa\"", "\"java.lang.Integer\"", "\"com.example.Bar");
+	}
+
 }