diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 0b75789..58116dd 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.build.Builder) !void {
         riverctl.install();
     }
 
+    {
+        const rivertile = b.addExecutable("rivertile", "rivertile/main.zig");
+        rivertile.setTarget(target);
+        rivertile.setBuildMode(mode);
+        rivertile.install();
+    }
+
     if (man_pages) {
         const scdoc_step = ScdocStep.create(b);
         try scdoc_step.install();
diff --git a/rivertile/main.zig b/rivertile/main.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8171dcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rivertile/main.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+// This file is part of river, a dynamic tiling wayland compositor.
+//
+// Copyright 2020 Isaac Freund
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+const std = @import("std");
+
+const Orientation = enum {
+    left,
+    right,
+    top,
+    bottom,
+};
+
+/// This is an implementation of the  default "tiled" layout of dwm and the
+/// 3 other orientations thereof. This code is written with the left
+/// orientation in mind and then the input/output values are adjusted to apply
+/// the necessary transformations to derive the other 3.
+///
+/// With 4 views and one master, the left layout looks something like this:
+///
+/// +-----------------------+------------+
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       +------------+
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       +------------+
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// |                       |            |
+/// +-----------------------+------------+
+pub fn main() !void {
+    // first arg must be left, right, top, or bottom
+    const master_location = std.meta.stringToEnum(Orientation, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[1])).?;
+
+    // the other 5 are passed by river and described in river-layouts(7)
+    const num_views = try std.fmt.parseInt(u32, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[2]), 10);
+    const master_count = try std.fmt.parseInt(u32, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[3]), 10);
+    const master_factor = try std.fmt.parseFloat(f64, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[4]));
+
+    const width_arg: u32 = switch (master_location) {
+        .left, .right => 5,
+        .top, .bottom => 6,
+    };
+    const height_arg: u32 = if (width_arg == 5) 6 else 5;
+
+    const output_width = try std.fmt.parseInt(u32, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[width_arg]), 10);
+    const output_height = try std.fmt.parseInt(u32, std.mem.spanZ(std.os.argv[height_arg]), 10);
+
+    const secondary_count = num_views - master_count;
+
+    // to make things pixel-perfect, we make the first master and first secondary
+    // view slightly larger if the height is not evenly divisible
+    var master_width: u32 = undefined;
+    var master_height: u32 = undefined;
+    var master_height_rem: u32 = undefined;
+
+    var secondary_width: u32 = undefined;
+    var secondary_height: u32 = undefined;
+    var secondary_height_rem: u32 = undefined;
+
+    if (master_count > 0 and secondary_count > 0) {
+        master_width = @floatToInt(u32, master_factor * @intToFloat(f64, output_width));
+        master_height = output_height / master_count;
+        master_height_rem = output_height % master_count;
+
+        secondary_width = output_width - master_width;
+        secondary_height = output_height / secondary_count;
+        secondary_height_rem = output_height % secondary_count;
+    } else if (master_count > 0) {
+        master_width = output_width;
+        master_height = output_height / master_count;
+        master_height_rem = output_height % master_count;
+    } else if (secondary_width > 0) {
+        master_width = 0;
+        secondary_width = output_width;
+        secondary_height = output_height / secondary_count;
+        secondary_height_rem = output_height % secondary_count;
+    }
+
+    // Buffering the output makes things faster
+    var stdout_buf = std.io.bufferedOutStream(std.io.getStdOut().outStream());
+    const stdout = stdout_buf.outStream();
+
+    var i: u32 = 0;
+    while (i < num_views) : (i += 1) {
+        var x: u32 = undefined;
+        var y: u32 = undefined;
+        var width: u32 = undefined;
+        var height: u32 = undefined;
+
+        if (i < master_count) {
+            x = 0;
+            y = i * master_height + if (i > 0) master_height_rem else 0;
+            width = master_width;
+            height = master_height + if (i == 0) master_height_rem else 0;
+        } else {
+            x = master_width;
+            y = (i - master_count) * secondary_height + if (i > master_count) secondary_height_rem else 0;
+            width = secondary_width;
+            height = secondary_height + if (i == master_count) secondary_height_rem else 0;
+        }
+
+        switch (master_location) {
+            .left => try stdout.print("{} {} {} {}\n", .{ x, y, width, height }),
+            .right => try stdout.print("{} {} {} {}\n", .{ output_width - x - width, y, width, height }),
+            .top => try stdout.print("{} {} {} {}\n", .{ y, x, height, width }),
+            .bottom => try stdout.print("{} {} {} {}\n", .{ y, output_width - x - width, height, width }),
+        }
+    }
+
+    try stdout_buf.flush();
+}