diff --git a/src/inferno.cpp b/src/inferno.cpp
index 1ee8b03..da315b8 100644
--- a/src/inferno.cpp
+++ b/src/inferno.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Inferno::Inferno()
     mWin->init("Inferno v" INFERNO_VERSION, 1280, 720);
 
     mRasterRenderer = new RasterizeRenderer();
+    mRayRenderer = new RenderDispatcher();
     mScene = new Scene();
 }
 
@@ -216,8 +217,27 @@ int Inferno::run()
 
         if (showRenderSettings && ImGui::Begin("Inferno HART"))
         {
+            // start/stop
+            bool isRenderRunning = mRayRenderer->progressionStatus();
+            if (isRenderRunning)
+            {
+                ImGui::PushItemFlag(ImGuiItemFlags_Disabled, true); ImGui::PushStyleVar(ImGuiStyleVar_Alpha, ImGui::GetStyle().Alpha * 0.5f);
+                ImGui::Button("Start Render"); ImGui::SameLine();
+                ImGui::PopItemFlag(); ImGui::PopStyleVar();
+                if (ImGui::Button("Stop Render"))
+                    mRayRenderer->stopProgression();
+            } else {
+                if (ImGui::Button("Start Render"))
+                    mRayRenderer->startProgression();
+                ImGui::SameLine();
+                ImGui::PushItemFlag(ImGuiItemFlags_Disabled, true); ImGui::PushStyleVar(ImGuiStyleVar_Alpha, ImGui::GetStyle().Alpha * 0.5f);
+                ImGui::Button("Stop Render");
+                ImGui::PopItemFlag(); ImGui::PopStyleVar();
+            }
+
             if (ImGui::TreeNode("Render"))
             {
+                // modules
                 HHM* hhm = mRayRenderer->getTopModule();
                 if (ImGui::TreeNode("Accelerator"))
                 {
diff --git a/src/renderer/dispatcher.cpp b/src/renderer/dispatcher.cpp
index 04732b6..f499573 100644
--- a/src/renderer/dispatcher.cpp
+++ b/src/renderer/dispatcher.cpp
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@
 #include "hart_module.hpp"
 #include "renderer.hpp"
 
+#include <spdlog/spdlog.h>
+
+#include <chrono>
 
 using namespace inferno;
 
 RenderDispatcher::RenderDispatcher()
+    : mRenderWorker{}
 {
     mHHM = new HHM();
     mRenderer = new RayRenderer(mHHM);
@@ -14,7 +18,9 @@ RenderDispatcher::RenderDispatcher()
 
 RenderDispatcher::~RenderDispatcher()
 {
-
+    mDoWork = false;
+    mJoin = true;
+    mRenderWorker.join();
 }
 
 RayRenderer* RenderDispatcher::getRenderer()
@@ -27,17 +33,38 @@ HHM* RenderDispatcher::getTopModule()
     return mHHM;
 }
 
+void renderWorker(RayRenderer* renderer, std::atomic<bool>* doWork, std::atomic<bool>* join)
+{
+    while (!*join)
+    {
+        if (!*doWork) {
+            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
+            continue; // stall
+        }
+        spdlog::debug("Sample complete");
+    }
+}
+
 void RenderDispatcher::startProgression()
 {
-
+    if (!mRenderWorker.joinable())
+    {
+        mRenderWorker = std::thread{ &renderWorker, this->mRenderer, &mDoWork, &mJoin };
+    }
+    mDoWork = true;
 }
 
 void RenderDispatcher::stopProgression()
 {
+    mDoWork = false;
+}
 
+bool RenderDispatcher::progressionStatus()
+{
+    return mDoWork;
 }
 
 GLuint RenderDispatcher::getLatestTexture()
 {
-
+    return mRenderer->getRenderedTexture();
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/dispatcher.hpp b/src/renderer/dispatcher.hpp
index 0abe914..fd18921 100644
--- a/src/renderer/dispatcher.hpp
+++ b/src/renderer/dispatcher.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 #include <graphics.hpp>
 
+#include <thread>
+#include <mutex>
+#include <atomic>
+
 namespace inferno {
 
 // Thread dispatcher keeps track of the thread that calls the
@@ -22,11 +26,17 @@ public:
 
     void startProgression();
     void stopProgression();
+    bool progressionStatus();
     GLuint getLatestTexture();
     
 private:
     HHM* mHHM;
     RayRenderer* mRenderer;
+
+private:
+    std::thread mRenderWorker;
+    std::atomic<bool> mDoWork = false;
+    std::atomic<bool> mJoin = false;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/renderer.hpp b/src/renderer/renderer.hpp
index e1555dd..260a1a6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/renderer.hpp
+++ b/src/renderer/renderer.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public:
     void draw();
 
 private:
+    // TODO: a mutex for the renderTargetTexture as it gets accessed by the render thread and the main thread
     GLuint mRenderTargetTexture = 0;
     
     glm::fvec4* mTarget;