diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e790ccd..c1e2066 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Useful MSBuild inline tasks and targets. Import the common.tasks and/or common.t
 
 Usage examples
 
-Zip task:
+Zip task (folders hierarchy ignored):
 
 ```xml
   <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
@@ -19,6 +19,32 @@ Zip task:
   </Target>
 ```
 
+Zip task (folders hierarchy maintained relative to InputBaseDirectory):
+
+```xml
+  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <FilesToZip Include="$(ProjectDir)\PayloadUnzipped\*.*" />
+    </ItemGroup>
+    <Zip 
+      InputFileNames="@(FilesToZip)"
+      InputBaseDirectory="$(ProjectDir)\PayloadUnzipped"
+      OutputFileName="$(ProjectDir)$(TargetZipFile)"
+      OverwriteExistingFile="true" />
+  </Target>
+```
+ZipDir task (folders hierarchy maintained relative to InputBaseDirectory):
+
+```xml
+  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+    <ZipDir 
+      InputBaseDirectory="$(ProjectDir)\PayloadUnzipped" 
+      OutputFileName="$(ProjectDir)$(TargetZipFile)" 
+      OverwriteExistingFile="true" 
+      IncludeBaseDirectory="false" />
+  </Target>
+```
+
 SafeGitClean:
 
 ```
@@ -26,4 +52,4 @@ msbuild common.targets /p:BackupDir=C:\temp\backup /p:DeleteBackupDir=true
 ```
 
 If BackupDir is not provided a directory in %TEMP% will be created
-The default value for DeleteBackupDir is 'false' 
\ No newline at end of file
+The default value for DeleteBackupDir is 'false' 
diff --git a/common.tasks b/common.tasks
index 9439a45..47ea3f0 100644
--- a/common.tasks
+++ b/common.tasks
@@ -4,28 +4,40 @@
   <UsingTask TaskName="Zip" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v4.0.dll">
     <ParameterGroup>
       <InputFileNames ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Required="true" />
+      <InputBaseDirectory ParameterType="System.String" Required="false" />
       <OutputFileName ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
       <OverwriteExistingFile ParameterType="System.Boolean" Required="false" />
-	</ParameterGroup>
+    </ParameterGroup>
     <Task>
       <Reference Include="System.IO.Compression" />
       <Using Namespace="System.IO.Compression" />
       <Code Type="Fragment" Language="cs">
-      <![CDATA[        
+      <![CDATA[
+        Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.High, "=== Zipping files ===");
+        
         var fileMode = OverwriteExistingFile ? FileMode.Create : FileMode.CreateNew;
-        using (var archive = new ZipArchive(new FileStream(OutputFileName, fileMode), ZipArchiveMode.Create))
+        var baseDir  = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(InputBaseDirectory) ? string.Empty : Path.GetFullPath(InputBaseDirectory);
+        var filesToZip = InputFileNames.Select(f => Path.GetFullPath(f.ItemSpec)).Where(n => n.StartsWith(baseDir));
+        
+        using (var archive = new ZipArchive(new FileStream(OutputFileName, fileMode), ZipArchiveMode.Create, leaveOpen: false))
         {
-            foreach (var inputFileName in InputFileNames.Select(f => f.ItemSpec))
+          foreach (var inputFileName in filesToZip)
+          {
+            var entryName = baseDir.Length == 0
+                          ? Path.GetFileName(inputFileName) 
+                          : inputFileName.Substring(baseDir.Length + 1);
+            
+            Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.High, "Zipping '" + entryName + "' from " + inputFileName);
+            
+            var archiveEntry = archive.CreateEntry(entryName);
+            using (var fs = new FileStream(inputFileName, FileMode.Open))
             {
-                var archiveEntry = archive.CreateEntry(Path.GetFileName(inputFileName));
-                using (var fs = new FileStream(inputFileName, FileMode.Open))
-                {
-                    using (var zipStream = archiveEntry.Open())
-                    {
-                        fs.CopyTo(zipStream);
-                    }
-                }
+              using (var zipStream = archiveEntry.Open())
+              {
+                fs.CopyTo(zipStream);
+              }
             }
+          }
         }
       ]]>
       </Code>
@@ -38,7 +50,7 @@
       <OutputFileName ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
       <OverwriteExistingFile ParameterType="System.Boolean" Required="false" />
       <IncludeBaseDirectory ParameterType="System.Boolean" Required="false" />
-	</ParameterGroup>
+    </ParameterGroup>
     <Task>
       <Reference Include="System.IO.Compression" />
       <Reference Include="System.IO.Compression.FileSystem" />
@@ -47,16 +59,16 @@
       <![CDATA[        
         if (File.Exists(OutputFileName))
         {
-            if (!OverwriteExistingFile)
-            {
-                return false;
-            }
-            File.Delete(OutputFileName);
+          if (!OverwriteExistingFile)
+          {
+            return false;
+          }
+          File.Delete(OutputFileName);
         }
         ZipFile.CreateFromDirectory
         (
-            InputBaseDirectory, OutputFileName, 
-            CompressionLevel.Optimal, IncludeBaseDirectory
+          InputBaseDirectory, OutputFileName, 
+          CompressionLevel.Optimal, IncludeBaseDirectory
         );
       ]]>
       </Code>