diff --git a/bin/buildcat b/bin/buildcat
index f26ea85..000f546 100644
--- a/bin/buildcat
+++ b/bin/buildcat
@@ -53,8 +53,15 @@ subparser.add_argument("--host", default="127.0.0.1", help="Server address. Defa
 subparser.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=6379, help="Server port. Default: %(default)s")
 subparser.add_argument("--queue", default="default", help="Server queue to ping. Default: %(default)s")
 
+# houdini-ifd
+subparser = subparsers.add_parser("houdini-render-ifd", help="Submit a Houdini .ifd render job.")
+subparser.add_argument("--host", default="127.0.0.1", help="Server address. Default: %(default)s")
+subparser.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=6379, help="Server port. Default: %(default)s")
+subparser.add_argument("--queue", default="default", help="Server queue to use for rendering. Default: %(default)s")
+subparser.add_argument("ifdfile", help="Houdini .ifd file to render with mantra.")
+
 # houdini-render
-subparser = subparsers.add_parser("houdini-render", help="Submit a Houdini render job.")
+subparser = subparsers.add_parser("houdini-render", help="Submit a Houdini .hip render job.")
 subparser.add_argument("--host", default="127.0.0.1", help="Server address. Default: %(default)s")
 subparser.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=6379, help="Server port. Default: %(default)s")
 subparser.add_argument("--queue", default="default", help="Server queue to use for rendering. Default: %(default)s")
@@ -234,6 +241,14 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         pprint.pprint(buildcat.wait(connection=connection, job=job))
 
 
+    # houdini-render-ifd
+    if arguments.command == "houdini-render-ifd":
+        connection, queue = buildcat.queue(queue=arguments.queue, host=arguments.host, port=arguments.port)
+        ifdfile = buildcat.require_relative_path(arguments.ifdfile, "Houdini .ifd file must be a relative path.")
+        job = buildcat.submit(queue, "buildcat.hou.render_ifd", ifdfile)
+        print(f"Submitted job {job.id}")
+
+
     # houdini-render
     if arguments.command == "houdini-render":
         connection, queue = buildcat.queue(queue=arguments.queue, host=arguments.host, port=arguments.port)
diff --git a/buildcat/hou.py b/buildcat/hou.py
index c45a62e..55361a9 100644
--- a/buildcat/hou.py
+++ b/buildcat/hou.py
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ def _hython_executable():
     return buildcat.executable("hython")
 
 
+def _mantra_executable():
+    return buildcat.executable("mantra")
+
+
 def info():
     """Return information describing the worker's local Houdini installation.
 
@@ -61,6 +65,26 @@ def info():
     return result
 
 
+def render_ifd(ifdfile):
+    """Render a Houdini .ifd file.
+
+    Environment Variables
+    ---------------------
+    PATH: required
+        Your PATH environment variable *must* be configured so that the worker
+        can run the `mantra` executable.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    ifdfile: :class:`str`, required
+        Path to the file to be rendered.
+    """
+    ifdfile = str(ifdfile)
+
+    command = [_mantra_executable(), "-f", ifdfile]
+    buildcat.check_call(command)
+
+
 def render_frames(hipfile, rop, frames):
     """Render a range of frames from a Houdini .hip file.