diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/GenerateProviderManifest.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/GenerateProviderManifest.java
index 6f07b198e7e8a..9420f732cd14d 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/GenerateProviderManifest.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/GenerateProviderManifest.java
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@
 import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask;
 import org.gradle.api.file.ConfigurableFileCollection;
 import org.gradle.api.file.DirectoryProperty;
+import org.gradle.api.file.RegularFile;
+import org.gradle.api.file.RegularFileProperty;
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Property;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.Classpath;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.Input;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.InputFiles;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.OutputDirectory;
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.OutputFile;
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskAction;
 
 import java.io.File;
@@ -33,15 +36,13 @@ public GenerateProviderManifest() {}
     @InputFiles
     abstract public ConfigurableFileCollection getProviderImplClasspath();
 
-    @Input
-    abstract public Property<String> getManifestName();
-
-    @OutputDirectory
-    abstract DirectoryProperty getOutputDir();
+    @OutputFile
+    abstract RegularFileProperty getManifestFile();
 
     @TaskAction
     void generateManifest() {
-        File manifestFile = getOutputDir().file(getManifestName().get()).get().getAsFile();
+        File manifestFile = getManifestFile().get().getAsFile();
+        manifestFile.getParentFile().mkdirs();
         FileUtils.write(manifestFile, generateManifestContent(), "UTF-8");
     }
 
diff --git a/libs/x-content/build.gradle b/libs/x-content/build.gradle
index f934d7ce09386..5c9dd49c007b8 100644
--- a/libs/x-content/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/x-content/build.gradle
@@ -67,15 +67,14 @@ tasks.named("dependencyLicenses").configure {
   mapping from: /jackson-.*/, to: 'jackson'
 }
 
-File generatedResourcesDir = new File(buildDir, 'generated-resources')
+Directory generatedResourcesDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir('generated-resources').get()
 def generateProviderManifest = tasks.register("generateProviderManifest", GenerateProviderManifest.class) {
-  outputDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir('generated-resources')
-  manifestName = "LISTING.TXT"
+  manifestFile = generatedResourcesDir.file("LISTING.TXT")
   getProviderImplClasspath().from(configurations.providerImpl)
 }
 
 def generateProviderImpl = tasks.register("generateProviderImpl", Sync) {
-  destinationDir = new File(generatedResourcesDir, "impl")
+  destinationDir = generatedResourcesDir.dir("impl").getAsFile()
   into("IMPL-JARS/x-content") {
     from(configurations.providerImpl)
     from(generateProviderManifest)