diff --git a/.github/workflows/serde_compat.yml b/.github/workflows/serde_compat.yml
index 81547ee7..38fd7739 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/serde_compat.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/serde_compat.yml
@@ -17,16 +17,18 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           repository: apache/datasketches-java
-          path: java
+          path: datasketches-java
       - name: Setup Java
         uses: actions/setup-java@v5
         with:
           java-version: '25'
           distribution: 'temurin'
       - name: Run Java
-        run: cd java && mvn test -P generate-java-files
+        run: cd datasketches-java && mvn test -P generate-java-files
       - name: Copy files
-        run: cp java/serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/*.sk java
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p serialization_test_data/java_generated_files
+          cp datasketches-java/serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/*.sk serialization_test_data/java_generated_files
       - name: Run cmake
         run: cd build && cmake .. -DSERDE_COMPAT=true
       - name: Build C++ unit tests
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1571229e..3d66d9dd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -42,4 +42,7 @@ _*/
 !__init__.py
 
 docs
-java
+# Cross-language test data: sketch snapshots and the datasketches-java checkout used to generate them
+serialization_test_data/
+datasketches-java/
+*.sk
diff --git a/cpc/test/cpc_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/cpc/test/cpc_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 70027e37..90a72bf6 100644
--- a/cpc/test/cpc_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/cpc/test/cpc_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("cpc sketch", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 100, 200, 2000, 20000};
diff --git a/fi/test/frequent_items_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/fi/test/frequent_items_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 221f6a62..c9917587 100644
--- a/fi/test/frequent_items_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/fi/test/frequent_items_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("frequent longs", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/filters/test/bloom_filter_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/filters/test/bloom_filter_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 126bac0c..65b8dd92 100644
--- a/filters/test/bloom_filter_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/filters/test/bloom_filter_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("bloom_filter", "[serde_compat]") {
   const uint64_t n_arr[] = {0, 10000, 2000000, 30000000};
diff --git a/hll/test/hll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/hll/test/hll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 828af544..502d9716 100644
--- a/hll/test/hll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/hll/test/hll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("hll4 sketch", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/kll/test/kll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/kll/test/kll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 65efc3e5..d2902635 100644
--- a/kll/test/kll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/kll/test/kll_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("kll float", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/quantiles/test/quantiles_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/quantiles/test/quantiles_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 1123d8fd..fcd4215c 100644
--- a/quantiles/test/quantiles_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/quantiles/test/quantiles_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("quantiles double", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/req/test/req_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/req/test/req_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index f90d930f..1d43116f 100644
--- a/req/test/req_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/req/test/req_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("req float", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index e121eeeb..eb2e39cc 100644
--- a/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/sampling/test/var_opt_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("var opt sketch long", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/sampling/test/var_opt_union_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/sampling/test/var_opt_union_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 915f230f..f2148a4b 100644
--- a/sampling/test/var_opt_union_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/sampling/test/var_opt_union_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("var opt union double", "[serde_compat]") {
   const double EPS = 1e-13;
diff --git a/tdigest/test/tdigest_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/tdigest/test/tdigest_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 04e8f8c6..5725560c 100644
--- a/tdigest/test/tdigest_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/tdigest/test/tdigest_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("tdigest double", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/theta/test/theta_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/theta/test/theta_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 691320a4..8a590f87 100644
--- a/theta/test/theta_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/theta/test/theta_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("theta sketch", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/tuple/test/aod_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/tuple/test/aod_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 5c0c0ce3..32ba10fc 100644
--- a/tuple/test/aod_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/tuple/test/aod_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("aod sketch one value", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};
diff --git a/tuple/test/tuple_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp b/tuple/test/tuple_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
index 408223f9..7d295c72 100644
--- a/tuple/test/tuple_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
+++ b/tuple/test/tuple_sketch_deserialize_from_java_test.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 namespace datasketches {
 
 // assume the binary sketches for this test have been generated by datasketches-java code
-// in the subdirectory called "java" in the root directory of this project
-static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../java/";
+// in the subdirectory "serialization_test_data/java_generated_files" in the root directory of this project
+static std::string testBinaryInputPath = std::string(TEST_BINARY_INPUT_PATH) + "../../serialization_test_data/java_generated_files/";
 
 TEST_CASE("tuple sketch int", "[serde_compat]") {
   const unsigned n_arr[] = {0, 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000, 1000000};