diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 143d84f42c..9f0e4eab75 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ You might be looking for:
 
 * CSS and XML extensions are discontinued ([#325](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/pull/325)).
 * Updated default google-java-format from 1.5 to 1.7 ([#335](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/335)).
+* `ImportOrderStep.createFromFile` is now lazy ([#218](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/218)).
 
 ### Version 1.17.0 - October 30th 2018 (javadoc [lib](https://diffplug.github.io/spotless/javadoc/spotless-lib/1.17.0/) [lib-extra](https://diffplug.github.io/spotless/javadoc/spotless-lib-extra/1.17.0/), artifact [lib]([jcenter](https://bintray.com/diffplug/opensource/spotless-lib), [lib-extra]([jcenter](https://bintray.com/diffplug/opensource/spotless-lib-extra)))
 
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/ImportOrderStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/ImportOrderStep.java
index 9bbf2f7151..bdff61d2f8 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/ImportOrderStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/ImportOrderStep.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
@@ -52,17 +53,17 @@ private ImportOrderStep(String lineFormat) {
 	public FormatterStep createFrom(String... importOrder) {
 		// defensive copying and null checking
 		List<String> importOrderList = requireElementsNonNull(Arrays.asList(importOrder));
-		return createFrom(importOrderList);
+		return createFrom(() -> importOrderList);
 	}
 
 	public FormatterStep createFrom(File importsFile) {
 		Objects.requireNonNull(importsFile);
-		return createFrom(getImportOrder(importsFile));
+		return createFrom(() -> getImportOrder(importsFile));
 	}
 
-	private FormatterStep createFrom(List<String> importOrder) {
+	private FormatterStep createFrom(Supplier<List<String>> importOrder) {
 		return FormatterStep.createLazy("importOrder",
-				() -> new State(importOrder, lineFormat),
+				() -> new State(importOrder.get(), lineFormat),
 				State::toFormatter);
 	}
 
@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@ private FormatterStep createFrom(List<String> importOrder) {
 	@Deprecated
 	public static FormatterStep createFromOrder(List<String> importOrder) {
 		// defensive copying and null checking
-		importOrder = requireElementsNonNull(new ArrayList<>(importOrder));
-		return forJava().createFrom(importOrder);
+		List<String> importOrderCopy = requireElementsNonNull(new ArrayList<>(importOrder));
+		return forJava().createFrom(() -> importOrderCopy);
 	}
 
 	/** Static method has been replaced by instance method
diff --git a/plugin-gradle/CHANGES.md b/plugin-gradle/CHANGES.md
index 463fc3bdd8..cb9c701792 100644
--- a/plugin-gradle/CHANGES.md
+++ b/plugin-gradle/CHANGES.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 * Improved configuration times for large projects (thanks to @oehme for finding [#348](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/pull/348)).
 * Updated default google-java-format from 1.5 to 1.7 ([#335](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/335)).
 * Replacing a step no longer triggers early evaluation ([#219](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/219)).
+* `importOrderFile(Object file)` for java and groovy is now lazy ([#218](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/218)).
 
 ### Version 3.17.0 - December 13th 2018 ([javadoc](https://diffplug.github.io/spotless/javadoc/spotless-plugin-gradle/3.17.0/), [jcenter](https://bintray.com/diffplug/opensource/spotless-plugin-gradle/3.17.0))
 
diff --git a/plugin-maven/CHANGES.md b/plugin-maven/CHANGES.md
index ff16945d10..3f72b74383 100644
--- a/plugin-maven/CHANGES.md
+++ b/plugin-maven/CHANGES.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 * Provided eclipse-wtp formatters as part of custom source format element. ([#325](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/pull/325)). This change obsoletes the CSS and XML source elements.
 * Updated default google-java-format from 1.5 to 1.7 ([#335](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/335)).
+* `<importOrder><file>somefile</file></importOrder>` is now lazy ([#218](https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/218)).
 
 ### Version 1.17.0 - December 13th 2018 ([javadoc](https://diffplug.github.io/spotless/javadoc/spotless-maven-plugin/1.17.0/), [jcenter](https://bintray.com/diffplug/opensource/spotless-maven-plugin/1.17.0))