diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/languages/PhpClientCodegen.java b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/languages/PhpClientCodegen.java
index 72fba6c54ce..71b0d67d215 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/languages/PhpClientCodegen.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/java/io/swagger/codegen/languages/PhpClientCodegen.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
     protected String artifactId = "swagger-client";
     protected String packagePath = "SwaggerClient-php";
     protected String artifactVersion = null;
+    protected String srcBasePath = "lib";
 
     public PhpClientCodegen() {
         super();
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
         additionalProperties.put("invokerPackage", invokerPackage);
         additionalProperties.put("modelPackage", modelPackage);
         additionalProperties.put("apiPackage", apiPackage);
+        additionalProperties.put("srcBasePath", srcBasePath);
         additionalProperties.put("escapedInvokerPackage", invokerPackage.replace("\\", "\\\\"));
         additionalProperties.put("groupId", groupId);
         additionalProperties.put("artifactId", artifactId);
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
         typeMapping.put("DateTime", "\\DateTime");
         
         cliOptions.add(new CliOption("packagePath", "main package name for classes"));
+        cliOptions.add(new CliOption("srcBasePath", "directory directory under packagePath to serve as source root"));
     }
 
     public String getPackagePath() {
@@ -130,6 +133,10 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
             this.setPackagePath((String) additionalProperties.get("packagePath"));
         }
 
+        if (additionalProperties.containsKey("srcBasePath")) {
+            this.setSrcBasePath((String) additionalProperties.get("srcBasePath"));
+        }
+
         if (additionalProperties.containsKey("modelPackage")) {
             this.setModelPackage(invokerPackage + "\\" + additionalProperties.get("modelPackage"));
         }
@@ -138,14 +145,15 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
             this.setApiPackage(invokerPackage + "\\" + additionalProperties.get("apiPackage"));
         }
 
+        additionalProperties.replace("srcBasePath", srcBasePath);
         additionalProperties.replace("modelPackage", modelPackage);
         additionalProperties.replace("apiPackage", apiPackage);
         additionalProperties.put("escapedInvokerPackage", invokerPackage.replace("\\", "\\\\"));
 
-        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiClientConfiguration.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, "lib"), "ApiClientConfiguration.php"));
-        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiClient.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, "lib"), "ApiClient.php"));
-        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiException.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, "lib"), "ApiException.php"));
-        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ObjectSerializer.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, "lib"), "ObjectSerializer.php"));
+        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiClientConfiguration.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, srcBasePath), "ApiClientConfiguration.php"));
+        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiClient.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, srcBasePath), "ApiClient.php"));
+        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ApiException.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, srcBasePath), "ApiException.php"));
+        supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("ObjectSerializer.mustache", toPackagePath(invokerPackage, srcBasePath), "ObjectSerializer.php"));
         supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("composer.mustache", getPackagePath(), "composer.json"));
         supportingFiles.add(new SupportingFile("autoload.mustache", getPackagePath(), "autoload.php"));
     }
@@ -157,11 +165,11 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
 
     @Override
     public String apiFileFolder() {
-        return (outputFolder + "/" + toPackagePath(apiPackage(), "lib"));
+        return (outputFolder + "/" + toPackagePath(apiPackage(), srcBasePath));
     }
 
     public String modelFileFolder() {
-        return (outputFolder + "/" + toPackagePath(modelPackage(), "lib"));
+        return (outputFolder + "/" + toPackagePath(modelPackage(), srcBasePath));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -222,6 +230,10 @@ public class PhpClientCodegen extends DefaultCodegen implements CodegenConfig {
         this.packagePath = packagePath;
     }
 
+    public void setSrcBasePath(String srcBasePath) {
+        this.srcBasePath = srcBasePath;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String toVarName(String name) {
         // parameter name starting with number won't compile
diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/autoload.mustache b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/autoload.mustache
index 4f56a6e20c0..04be6e11992 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/autoload.mustache
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/autoload.mustache
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * 
  * After registering this autoload function with SPL, the following line
  * would cause the function to attempt to load the \{{invokerPackage}}\Baz\Qux class
- * from /path/to/project/lib/Baz/Qux.php:
+ * from /path/to/project/{{srcBasePath}}/Baz/Qux.php:
  * 
  *      new \{{invokerPackage}}\Baz\Qux;
  *      
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ spl_autoload_register(function ($class) {
     $prefix = '{{escapedInvokerPackage}}\\';
 
     // base directory for the namespace prefix
-    $base_dir = __DIR__ . '/lib/';
+    $base_dir = __DIR__ . '/{{srcBasePath}}/';
 
     // does the class use the namespace prefix?
     $len = strlen($prefix);
diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/composer.mustache b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/composer.mustache
index f4e38c84f73..d36267617c4 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/composer.mustache
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/composer.mustache
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@
     "squizlabs/php_codesniffer": "~2.0"
   },
   "autoload": {
-    "psr-4": { "{{escapedInvokerPackage}}\\" : "lib/" }
+    "psr-4": { "{{escapedInvokerPackage}}\\" : "{{srcBasePath}}/" }
   }
 }