diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/MavenPlugin.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/MavenPlugin.java
index 3fd8c857d..145c168d4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/MavenPlugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/MavenPlugin.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
 import org.apache.xmlbeans.XmlError;
+import org.apache.xmlbeans.impl.util.FileUtil;
 import org.xml.sax.EntityResolver;
 import org.xml.sax.InputSource;
 import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
@@ -59,6 +60,10 @@ public class MavenPlugin extends AbstractMojo {
     @Parameter( defaultValue = "*.xsd,*.wsdl,*.java" )
     private String sourceSchemas;
 
+    /** sourceSubdirs determines if subdirectories of sourceDir are checked for schemas */
+    @Parameter( defaultValue = "false" )
+    private boolean sourceSubdirs;
+
     /** xmlConfigs points to your xmlconfig.xml file */
     @Parameter( defaultValue = "${project.basedir}/src/schema/xmlconfig.xml" )
     private String xmlConfigs;
@@ -216,9 +221,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
                 .replace(".", "\\.")
                 .replace("*",".*") +
             ")");
-
-        File[] schemaFiles = Objects.requireNonNull(base.listFiles((dir, name) ->
-            !name.endsWith(".xsdconfig") && pat.matcher(name).matches()));
+        Collection<File> schemaFiles = FileUtil.find(base, pat, sourceSubdirs);
         for (File sf : schemaFiles) {
             String name = sf.getName();
             switch (name.replaceAll(".*\\.", "")) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8637d1a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package org.apache.xmlbeans.impl.util;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.UncheckedIOException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
+public class FileUtil {
+
+    private FileUtil() {}
+
+    /**
+     * @param base Directory where to look for files
+     * @param pattern Regex pattern the files must match to be included
+     * @param searchSubdirectories If true, search all subdirectories. Otherwise, only search base
+     * @return Collection of files in base and possibly subdirectories that match pattern
+     */
+    public static Collection<File> find(File base, Pattern pattern, boolean searchSubdirectories) {
+        try (Stream<Path> pathStream = Files.find(base.toPath(), searchSubdirectories ? Integer.MAX_VALUE : 1, (path, atts) -> {
+            String name = path.getFileName().toString();
+            return !name.endsWith(".xsdconfig") && pattern.matcher(name).matches();
+        })) {
+            return pathStream.map(Path::toFile).collect(Collectors.toList());
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new UncheckedIOException(e);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/maven/plugin.xml b/src/main/maven/plugin.xml
index ef2d7fce2..c1002c38c 100644
--- a/src/main/maven/plugin.xml
+++ b/src/main/maven/plugin.xml
@@ -167,6 +167,13 @@
                     <editable>true</editable>
                     <description>sourceSchemas is a comma-delimited list of all the schemas you want to compile</description>
                 </parameter>
+                <parameter>
+                    <name>sourceSubdirs</name>
+                    <type>boolean</type>
+                    <required>false</required>
+                    <editable>true</editable>
+                    <description>sourceSubdirs determines if subdirectories of sourceDir are checked for schemas</description>
+                </parameter>
                 <parameter>
                     <name>xmlConfigs</name>
                     <type>java.lang.String</type>
@@ -363,6 +370,7 @@
                 <buildSchemas implementation="boolean" default-value="true"/>
                 <sourceDir implementation="java.lang.String" default-value="${project.basedir}/src/main/schema"/>
                 <sourceSchemas implementation="java.lang.String" default-value="*.xsd,*.wsdl,*.java"/>
+                <sourceSubdirs implementation="boolean" default-value="false"/>
                 <xmlConfigs implementation="java.lang.String" default-value="${project.basedir}/src/schema/xmlconfig.xml"/>
                 <javaTargetDir implementation="java.lang.String" default-value="${project.basedir}/target/generated-sources"/>
                 <classTargetDir implementation="java.lang.String" default-value="${project.basedir}/target/generated-resources"/>
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtilTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtilTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..23e80a2c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/util/FileUtilTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package org.apache.xmlbeans.impl.util;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+public class FileUtilTest {
+
+    private Path root;
+
+    @BeforeEach
+    public void setup() throws IOException {
+        root = Files.createTempDirectory("test");
+    }
+
+    @AfterEach
+    public void cleanup() throws IOException {
+        try (Stream<Path> walk = Files.walk(root)) {
+            walk.sorted(Comparator.reverseOrder())
+                    .map(Path::toFile)
+                    .forEach(File::delete);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testFindNoSubdirs() throws IOException {
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.xsdconfig"));
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.xsd"));
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.txt"));
+        Path dir = Files.createDirectory(root.resolve("test"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.xsdconfig"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.xsd"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.txt"));
+
+        Collection<File> files = FileUtil.find(root.toFile(), Pattern.compile(".*\\.xsd"), false);
+
+        assertEquals(1, files.size());
+        assertEquals("test1.xsd", files.iterator().next().getName());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testFindSubdirs() throws IOException {
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.xsdconfig"));
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.xsd"));
+        Files.createFile(root.resolve("test1.txt"));
+        Path dir = Files.createDirectory(root.resolve("test"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.xsdconfig"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.xsd"));
+        Files.createFile(dir.resolve("test2.txt"));
+
+        Collection<File> files = FileUtil.find(root.toFile(), Pattern.compile(".*\\.xsd"), true);
+
+        assertEquals(2, files.size());
+        assertEquals(Set.of("test1.xsd", "test2.xsd"), files.stream().map(File::getName).collect(Collectors.toSet()));
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file