diff --git a/syft/file/coordinate_set.go b/syft/file/coordinate_set.go
index 5342f6de2..086184e30 100644
--- a/syft/file/coordinate_set.go
+++ b/syft/file/coordinate_set.go
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ func (s CoordinateSet) ToSlice(sorters ...func(a, b Coordinates) int) []Coordina
 	if !sorted {
 		sort.SliceStable(coordinates, func(i, j int) bool {
 			if coordinates[i].FileSystemID == coordinates[j].FileSystemID {
+				if coordinates[i].RealPath == coordinates[j].RealPath {
+					return coordinates[i].ArchivePath < coordinates[j].ArchivePath
+				}
 				return coordinates[i].RealPath < coordinates[j].RealPath
 			}
 			return coordinates[i].FileSystemID < coordinates[j].FileSystemID
diff --git a/syft/file/location.go b/syft/file/location.go
index 76678c40f..0cd3c6998 100644
--- a/syft/file/location.go
+++ b/syft/file/location.go
@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ func (l Location) String() string {
 		str += fmt.Sprintf(" AccessPath=%q", l.AccessPath)
 	}
 
+	if l.ArchivePath != "" {
+		str += fmt.Sprintf(" ArchivePath=%q", l.ArchivePath)
+	}
+
 	if l.FileSystemID != "" {
 		str += fmt.Sprintf(" Layer=%q", l.FileSystemID)
 	}
@@ -233,5 +237,6 @@ func (l Location) String() string {
 func (l Location) Equals(other Location) bool {
 	return l.RealPath == other.RealPath &&
 		l.AccessPath == other.AccessPath &&
+		l.ArchivePath == other.ArchivePath &&
 		l.FileSystemID == other.FileSystemID
 }
diff --git a/syft/file/location_test.go b/syft/file/location_test.go
index 36626955b..7bf999637 100644
--- a/syft/file/location_test.go
+++ b/syft/file/location_test.go
@@ -48,3 +48,12 @@ func TestLocation_ID(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func TestLocation_archivePathIsIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	a := NewLocationFromCoordinates(Coordinates{RealPath: "META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", ArchivePath: "/a.jar"})
+	b := NewLocationFromCoordinates(Coordinates{RealPath: "META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", ArchivePath: "/b.jar"})
+
+	assert.False(t, a.Equals(b))
+	assert.NotEqual(t, a.String(), b.String())
+	assert.Contains(t, a.String(), `ArchivePath="/a.jar"`)
+}
diff --git a/syft/file/locations.go b/syft/file/locations.go
index 3f7be072d..df5a281bb 100644
--- a/syft/file/locations.go
+++ b/syft/file/locations.go
@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ func LocationSorter(layers []string) func(a, b Location) int { //nolint:gocognit
 			return strings.Compare(a.AccessPath, b.AccessPath)
 		}
 
-		return strings.Compare(a.RealPath, b.RealPath)
+		if a.RealPath != b.RealPath {
+			return strings.Compare(a.RealPath, b.RealPath)
+		}
+
+		// the same path in different archives is a different file
+		return strings.Compare(a.ArchivePath, b.ArchivePath)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +123,11 @@ func CoordinatesSorter(layers []string) func(a, b Coordinates) int {
 			}
 		}
 
-		return strings.Compare(a.RealPath, b.RealPath)
+		if a.RealPath != b.RealPath {
+			return strings.Compare(a.RealPath, b.RealPath)
+		}
+
+		// the same path in different archives is a different file
+		return strings.Compare(a.ArchivePath, b.ArchivePath)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/syft/file/locations_test.go b/syft/file/locations_test.go
index 07e903d90..6c57753c7 100644
--- a/syft/file/locations_test.go
+++ b/syft/file/locations_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/internal/evidence"
 )
@@ -555,3 +556,24 @@ func TestLocationAndCoordinatesSorters(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSorters_archivePathBreaksTies(t *testing.T) {
+	// the same path in two archives must sort the same way whatever order the inputs arrive in, or
+	// output built from map iteration is not reproducible
+	a := Coordinates{RealPath: "META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", ArchivePath: "/app.war:WEB-INF/lib/a.jar"}
+	b := Coordinates{RealPath: "META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", ArchivePath: "/app.war:WEB-INF/lib/b.jar"}
+	want := []string{a.ArchivePath, b.ArchivePath}
+
+	for _, in := range [][]Coordinates{{a, b}, {b, a}} {
+		coords := slices.Clone(in)
+		slices.SortFunc(coords, CoordinatesSorter(nil))
+		assert.Equal(t, want, []string{coords[0].ArchivePath, coords[1].ArchivePath}, "CoordinatesSorter")
+
+		locs := []Location{NewLocationFromCoordinates(in[0]), NewLocationFromCoordinates(in[1])}
+		slices.SortFunc(locs, LocationSorter(nil))
+		assert.Equal(t, want, []string{locs[0].ArchivePath, locs[1].ArchivePath}, "LocationSorter")
+
+		got := NewCoordinateSet(in...).ToSlice()
+		assert.Equal(t, want, []string{got[0].ArchivePath, got[1].ArchivePath}, "CoordinateSet.ToSlice")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/syft/format/syftjson/encoder_test.go b/syft/format/syftjson/encoder_test.go
index c07581884..4e6ce11ca 100644
--- a/syft/format/syftjson/encoder_test.go
+++ b/syft/format/syftjson/encoder_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -89,6 +90,30 @@ func TestEscapeHTML(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestEncode_sameFileInManyArchivesIsReproducible(t *testing.T) {
+	// files and package locations that differ only by archive path come out of map iteration, so the
+	// output is reproducible only if the sort breaks that tie
+	s := testutil.DirectoryInput(t, t.TempDir())
+	s.Artifacts.FileMetadata = map[file.Coordinates]file.Metadata{}
+	p := pkg.Package{Name: "shared", Version: "1.0"}
+	for i := range 20 {
+		c := file.Coordinates{RealPath: "META-INF/MANIFEST.MF", ArchivePath: fmt.Sprintf("/app.war:WEB-INF/lib/%02d.jar", i)}
+		s.Artifacts.FileMetadata[c] = file.Metadata{}
+		p.Locations.Add(file.NewLocationFromCoordinates(c))
+	}
+	s.Artifacts.Packages.Add(p)
+
+	encode := func() string {
+		var buffer bytes.Buffer
+		require.NoError(t, NewFormatEncoder().Encode(&buffer, s))
+		return buffer.String()
+	}
+	first := encode()
+	for range 10 {
+		require.Equal(t, first, encode())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDirectoryEncoder(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := DefaultEncoderConfig()
 	cfg.Pretty = true