diff --git a/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/__tests__/process-file.js b/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/__tests__/process-file.js
index e0278ea97f2c6..22e01a9c6b50b 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/__tests__/process-file.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/__tests__/process-file.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { createArgsDigest } = require(`../process-file`)
+const { createArgsDigest, sortKeys } = require(`../process-file`)
 
 describe(`createArgsDigest`, () => {
   const defaultArgsBaseline = {
@@ -94,5 +94,25 @@ describe(`createArgsDigest`, () => {
       testHashEqual(`maxWidth`, { maxWidth: 500 })
       testHashEqual(`base64`, { base64: true })
     })
+
+    describe(`argument sorting`, () => {
+      it(`sorts nested arguments`, () => {
+        const args = {
+          duotone: {
+            shadow: `#10c5f8`,
+            highlight: `#32CD32`,
+          },
+          cropFocus: 17,
+        }
+        const actual = sortKeys(args)
+        expect(actual).toEqual({
+          cropFocus: 17,
+          duotone: {
+            highlight: `#32CD32`,
+            shadow: `#10c5f8`,
+          },
+        })
+      })
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/process-file.js b/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/process-file.js
index d7c1e92e70694..659cdcd2cc2a1 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/process-file.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-plugin-sharp/src/process-file.js
@@ -241,10 +241,29 @@ exports.createArgsDigest = args => {
 
   const argsDigest = crypto
     .createHash(`md5`)
-    .update(JSON.stringify(filtered, Object.keys(filtered).sort()))
+    .update(JSON.stringify(sortKeys(filtered)))
     .digest(`hex`)
 
   const argsDigestShort = argsDigest.substr(argsDigest.length - 5)
 
   return argsDigestShort
 }
+
+const sortKeys = object => {
+  var sortedObj = {},
+    keys = _.keys(object)
+
+  keys = _.sortBy(keys, key => key)
+
+  _.each(keys, key => {
+    if (typeof object[key] == `object` && !(object[key] instanceof Array)) {
+      sortedObj[key] = sortKeys(object[key])
+    } else {
+      sortedObj[key] = object[key]
+    }
+  })
+
+  return sortedObj
+}
+
+exports.sortKeys = sortKeys