diff --git a/src/application.ts b/src/application.ts
index 3ae3a49..f4af601 100644
--- a/src/application.ts
+++ b/src/application.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
 import {
   Simple,
   templateFactory,
-  RenderResult,
   ComponentDefinition,
   Component
 } from '@glimmer/runtime';
@@ -25,6 +24,8 @@ import DynamicScope from './dynamic-scope';
 import Environment from './environment';
 import mainTemplate from './templates/main';
 
+function NOOP() {}
+
 export interface ApplicationOptions {
   rootName: string;
   resolver: Resolver;
@@ -50,17 +51,20 @@ export default class Application implements Owner {
   private _rootsIndex: number = 0;
   private _registry: Registry;
   private _container: Container;
-  private _renderResult: RenderResult;
-  /** Whether the initial render has completed. */
-  private _rendered: boolean;
-  /** Whether a re-render has been scheduled. */
-  private _scheduled: boolean;
   private _initializers: Initializer[] = [];
   private _initialized = false;
+  private _rendered = false;
+  private _scheduled = false;
+  private _rerender: () => void = NOOP;
+  private _afterRender: () => void = NOOP;
+  private _renderPromise: Option<Promise<void>>;
 
   constructor(options: ApplicationOptions) {
     this.rootName = options.rootName;
     this.resolver = options.resolver;
+    this._renderPromise = new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+      this._afterRender = resolve;
+    });
   }
 
   /** @hidden */
@@ -136,30 +140,58 @@ export default class Application implements Owner {
 
     this.env.commit();
 
+    let renderResult = result.value;
+
+    this._rerender = () => {
+      this.env.begin();
+      renderResult.rerender();
+      this.env.commit();
+      this._didRender();
+    };
+
+    this._didRender();
+  }
+
+  _didRender(): void {
+    let { _afterRender } = this;
+
+    this._afterRender = NOOP;
+    this._renderPromise = null;
     this._rendered = true;
-    this._renderResult = result.value;
+
+    _afterRender();
   }
 
-  renderComponent(component: string | ComponentDefinition<Component>, parent: Simple.Node, nextSibling: Option<Simple.Node>): void {
+  renderComponent(
+    component: string | ComponentDefinition<Component>,
+    parent: Simple.Node,
+    nextSibling: Option<Simple.Node> = null
+  ): Promise<void> {
     this._roots.push({ id: this._rootsIndex++, component, parent, nextSibling });
-    this.scheduleRerender();
+    return this.scheduleRerender();
   }
 
-  /** @hidden */
-  rerender(): void {
-    this.env.begin();
-    this._renderResult.rerender();
-    this.env.commit();
+  scheduleRerender(): Promise<void> {
+    let { _renderPromise } = this;
+
+    if (_renderPromise === null) {
+      _renderPromise = this._renderPromise = new Promise<void>(resolve => {
+        this._afterRender = resolve;
+      });
+
+      this._scheduleRerender();
+    }
+
+    return _renderPromise;
   }
 
-  /** @hidden */
-  scheduleRerender(): void {
-    if (this._scheduled || !this._rendered) { return; }
+  _scheduleRerender(): void {
+    if (this._scheduled || !this._rendered) return;
 
     this._scheduled = true;
     requestAnimationFrame(() => {
       this._scheduled = false;
-      this.rerender();
+      this._rerender();
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/test/action-test.ts b/test/action-test.ts
index 0800247..0afff6e 100644
--- a/test/action-test.ts
+++ b/test/action-test.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ test('can curry arguments to actions', function(assert) {
   passedEvent = null;
 
   helloWorldComponent.name = "cruel world";
-  app.rerender();
+  app.scheduleRerender();
 
   h1 = app.rootElement.querySelector('h1');
   h1.onclick(fakeEvent);
diff --git a/test/environment-test.ts b/test/environment-test.ts
index c04843d..95cca82 100644
--- a/test/environment-test.ts
+++ b/test/environment-test.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ test('can render a component with the component helper', function(assert) {
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Glimmer!');
 
-  app.rerender();
+  app.scheduleRerender();
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Glimmer!');
 });
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ test('can render a custom helper', function(assert) {
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Glimmer!');
 
-  app.rerender();
+  app.scheduleRerender();
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Glimmer!');
 });
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ test('can render a custom helper that takes args', function(assert) {
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Tom Dale!');
 
-  app.rerender();
+  app.scheduleRerender();
 
   assert.equal(app.rootElement.innerText, 'Hello Tom Dale!');
 });
diff --git a/test/render-component-test.ts b/test/render-component-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c425bcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/render-component-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import buildApp from './test-helpers/test-app';
+
+const { module, test } = QUnit;
+
+module('renderComponent');
+
+test('renders a component', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  let containerElement = document.createElement('div');
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  return app.renderComponent('hello-world', containerElement).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>');
+  });
+});
+
+test('renders a component without affecting existing content', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  let containerElement = document.createElement('div');
+  let previousSibling = document.createElement('p');
+
+  previousSibling.appendChild(document.createTextNode('foo'));
+  containerElement.appendChild(previousSibling);
+  containerElement.appendChild(document.createTextNode('bar'));
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<p>foo</p>bar');
+
+  return app.renderComponent('hello-world', containerElement).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<p>foo</p>bar<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>');
+  });
+});
+
+test('renders a component before a given sibling', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  let containerElement = document.createElement('div');
+  let previousSibling = document.createElement('p');
+  let nextSibling = document.createElement('aside');
+
+  containerElement.appendChild(previousSibling);
+  containerElement.appendChild(nextSibling);
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<p></p><aside></aside>');
+
+  return app.renderComponent('hello-world', containerElement, nextSibling).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<p></p><h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1><aside></aside>');
+  });
+});
+
+test('renders multiple components in different places', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  let firstContainerElement = document.createElement('div');
+  let secondContainerElement = document.createElement('div');
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .template('hello-robbie', `<h1>Hello Robbie!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  return Promise.all([
+    app.renderComponent('hello-world', firstContainerElement),
+    app.renderComponent('hello-robbie', secondContainerElement)
+  ]).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(firstContainerElement.innerHTML, '<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>');
+    assert.equal(secondContainerElement.innerHTML, '<h1>Hello Robbie!</h1>');
+  });
+});
+
+test('renders multiple components in the same container', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  let containerElement = document.createElement('div');
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .template('hello-robbie', `<h1>Hello Robbie!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  return Promise.all([
+    app.renderComponent('hello-world', containerElement),
+    app.renderComponent('hello-robbie', containerElement)
+  ]).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1><h1>Hello Robbie!</h1>');
+  });
+});
+
+test('renders multiple components in the same container in particular places', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  let containerElement = document.createElement('div');
+  let nextSibling = document.createElement('aside');
+
+  containerElement.appendChild(nextSibling);
+
+  let app = buildApp()
+    .template('hello-world', `<h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>`)
+    .template('hello-robbie', `<h1>Hello Robbie!</h1>`)
+    .boot();
+
+  assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<aside></aside>');
+
+  return Promise.all([
+    app.renderComponent('hello-world', containerElement),
+    app.renderComponent('hello-robbie', containerElement, nextSibling)
+  ]).then(() => {
+    assert.equal(containerElement.innerHTML, '<h1>Hello Robbie!</h1><aside></aside><h1>Hello Glimmer!</h1>');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/test-helpers/test-app.ts b/test/test-helpers/test-app.ts
index 0e96668..8b7512f 100644
--- a/test/test-helpers/test-app.ts
+++ b/test/test-helpers/test-app.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 import Application from '../../src/application';
 import Resolver, { BasicModuleRegistry } from '@glimmer/resolver';
-import { Factory } from '@glimmer/di';
 
 import { TestComponent, TestComponentManager } from './components';
 import { precompile } from './compiler';
 
-interface ComponentFactory {
+export interface ComponentFactory {
   create(injections: object): TestComponent;
 }
 
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ export class AppBuilder {
   constructor(name: string) {
     this.rootName = name;
     this.modules[`component-manager:/${this.rootName}/component-managers/main`] = TestComponentManager;
+    this.template('main', '<div />');
   }
 
   template(name: string, template: string) {