diff --git a/deepspeed/checkpoint/deepspeed_checkpoint.py b/deepspeed/checkpoint/deepspeed_checkpoint.py
index 8312dddd2fa6..31997177a262 100644
--- a/deepspeed/checkpoint/deepspeed_checkpoint.py
+++ b/deepspeed/checkpoint/deepspeed_checkpoint.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # DeepSpeed Team
 
 import os
+import re
 from typing import Dict
 import torch
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 ARGS_KEY = 'args'
 CHECKPOINT_INFO_KEY = 'checkpoint_info'
 ITERATION_KEY = 'iteration'
+LAYER_FILE_PREFIX_PATTERN = r'layer_(\d+)-model_.*'
 
 SEQUENTIAL_LAYERS = [
     'input_layernorm.weight', 'input_layernorm.bias', 'self_attention.dense.bias', 'post_attention_layernorm.weight',
@@ -32,7 +34,13 @@
 
 class DeepSpeedCheckpoint(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, dir, tp_degree=None, pp_degree=None, dp_degree=None):
+    def __init__(self,
+                 dir,
+                 tp_degree=None,
+                 pp_degree=None,
+                 dp_degree=None,
+                 final_layer_norm_idx=FINAL_LAYER_NORM_INDEX):
+        self.final_layer_norm_idx = final_layer_norm_idx
         self.dir = dir
 
         pipeline_parallel = len(get_files_with_prefix(get_files(dir), LAYER_FILE_PREFIX)) > 0
@@ -73,7 +81,7 @@ def __init__(self, dir, tp_degree=None, pp_degree=None, dp_degree=None):
         self.pp_to_transformer_map = self._build_pp_transformer_map()
         self.transformer_file_map = self._build_transformer_file_map()
         self.tp_to_embedding_map = self._build_tp_other_layer_map(EMBEDDING_LAYER_INDEX)
-        self.tp_to_final_norm_map = self._build_tp_other_layer_map(FINAL_LAYER_NORM_INDEX)
+        self.tp_to_final_norm_map = self._build_tp_other_layer_map(self.final_layer_norm_idx)
         self._build_global_state()
 
     def is_change_tp_degree(self):
@@ -125,7 +133,7 @@ def get_embedding_layer_id(self):
         return self.layer_keys[EMBEDDING_LAYER_INDEX]
 
     def get_final_norm_layer_id(self):
-        return self.layer_keys[FINAL_LAYER_NORM_INDEX]
+        return self.layer_keys[self.final_layer_norm_idx]
 
     def get_iteration(self):
         if not ITERATION_KEY in self.global_state:
@@ -214,7 +222,7 @@ def get_2d_parallel_files(self, tp_index: int, pp_index: int) -> list:
     def _build_pp_transformer_map(self):
         data_map = {}
         if self.pp_degree > 0:
-            transformer_layers = self.layer_keys[1:-1]
+            transformer_layers = self.layer_keys[1:self.final_layer_norm_idx]
             layers_per_pp = len(transformer_layers) // self.pp_degree
             data_map = {
                 i: transformer_layers[i * layers_per_pp:(i + 1) * layers_per_pp]
@@ -229,7 +237,7 @@ def _dump_mapping(self, data_map, map_tag=None):
             print(f'{k} = {v}')
 
     def _build_transformer_file_map(self):
-        transformer_layer_keys = self.layer_keys[1:-1]
+        transformer_layer_keys = self.layer_keys[1:self.final_layer_norm_idx]
         file_map = {}
         # XXX: this is not guaranteed
         layers_per_pp = 1
@@ -238,7 +246,7 @@ def _build_transformer_file_map(self):
         #print(f"{transformer_layer_keys} {layers_per_pp}")
         for key_index, layer_key in enumerate(transformer_layer_keys):
             pp_index = key_index // layers_per_pp
-            layer_files = get_files_with_prefix(self.layer_files, layer_key)
+            layer_files = get_files_with_prefix(self.layer_files, layer_key + '-')
             layer_file_partitions = partition_data(layer_files, self.tp_degree)
             for tp_index in range(self.tp_degree):
                 map_key = (tp_index, pp_index)
@@ -263,11 +271,13 @@ def validate_files(self):
 
     def _get_layer_keys(self):
         key_set = set()
-        key_len = len(LAYER_FILE_PREFIX) + 2
         for file_path in self.layer_files:
             _, fname = os.path.split(file_path)
-            key_set.add(fname[:key_len])
-        return sorted(list(key_set))
+            layer_id = re.search(LAYER_FILE_PREFIX_PATTERN, fname).group(1)
+            key_set.add(layer_id)
+        sorted_ids = sorted(list(key_set), key=int)
+        layer_keys = [LAYER_FILE_PREFIX + str(layer_id) for layer_id in sorted_ids]
+        return layer_keys
 
     def _merge_state_dicts(self, sd_list):
         merged_sd = {}