diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 82870d3ef..e61533a5d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -184,6 +184,16 @@ android-deploy: $(ANDROID_ABIS)
 	cd android/java/MapboxGLAndroidSDK && chmod ugo+x deploy.sh && ./deploy.sh
 
 
+##### Render builds ############################################################
+
+.PRECIOUS: Makefile/render
+Makefile/render: bin/render.gyp config/$(HOST).gypi
+	deps/run_gyp bin/render.gyp $(CONFIG_$(HOST)) $(LIBS_$(HOST)) --generator-output=./build/$(HOST) -f make
+
+render: Makefile/render
+	$(MAKE) -C build/$(HOST) BUILDTYPE=$(BUILDTYPE) mbgl-render
+
+
 ##### Maintenace operations ####################################################
 
 .PHONY: clear_xcode_cache
diff --git a/bin/render.cpp b/bin/render.cpp
index c791152d1..fad6600cf 100644
--- a/bin/render.cpp
+++ b/bin/render.cpp
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 #include <mbgl/util/std.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/io.hpp>
 
-#include <rapidjson/document.h>
-#include <rapidjson/writer.h>
-#include <rapidjson/stringbuffer.h>
-
 #include <mbgl/platform/default/headless_view.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/platform/default/headless_display.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/storage/default_file_source.hpp>
@@ -32,8 +28,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     double zoom = 0;
     double bearing = 0;
 
-    int width = 256;
-    int height = 256;
+    int width = 512;
+    int height = 512;
     double pixelRatio = 1.0;
     std::string output = "out.png";
     std::string cache_file = "cache.sqlite";
@@ -100,16 +96,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
     view.resize(width, height, pixelRatio);
     map.resize(width, height, pixelRatio);
-    map.setLatLonZoom(LatLng(lat, lon), zoom);
+    map.setLatLngZoom({ lat, lon }, zoom);
     map.setBearing(bearing);
 
-    std::unique_ptr<uint32_t[]> pixels;
-
     // Run the loop. It will terminate when we don't have any further listeners.
     map.run();
 
     // Get the data from the GPU.
-    pixels = view.readPixels();
+    auto pixels = view.readPixels();
 
     const unsigned int w = width * pixelRatio;
     const unsigned int h = height * pixelRatio;
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
index 844970bb8..fed68cb08 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ class GlyphAtlas;
 class SpriteAtlas;
 class LineAtlas;
 
+struct exception : std::runtime_error {
+    inline exception(const char *msg) : std::runtime_error(msg) {
+    }
+};
+
 class Map : private util::noncopyable {
 public:
     explicit Map(View&, FileSource&);
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/map.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/map.cpp
index ed20ec24a..73e188848 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/map.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/map.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,10 @@ void Map::run() {
         checkForPause();
     }
 
+    if (mode == Mode::Static && !style && styleURL.empty()) {
+        throw exception("Style is not set");
+    }
+
     view.activate();
 
     workers = util::make_unique<uv::worker>(**loop, 4, "Tile Worker");