diff --git a/pytorch3d/renderer/lighting.py b/pytorch3d/renderer/lighting.py
index 3ca81ca77..a11ffbe40 100644
--- a/pytorch3d/renderer/lighting.py
+++ b/pytorch3d/renderer/lighting.py
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ class AmbientLights(TensorProperties):
     A light object representing the same color of light everywhere.
     By default, this is white, which effectively means lighting is
     not used in rendering.
+
+    Unlike other lights this supports an arbitrary number of channels, not just 3 for RGB.
+    The ambient_color input determines the number of channels.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, *, ambient_color=None, device: Device = "cpu") -> None:
@@ -304,9 +307,11 @@ def __init__(self, *, ambient_color=None, device: Device = "cpu") -> None:
             device: Device (as str or torch.device) on which the tensors should be located
 
         The ambient_color if provided, should be
-            - 3 element tuple/list or list of lists
-            - torch tensor of shape (1, 3)
-            - torch tensor of shape (N, 3)
+            - tuple/list of C-element tuples of floats
+            - torch tensor of shape (1, C)
+            - torch tensor of shape (N, C)
+        where C is the number of channels and N is batch size.
+        For RGB, C is 3.
         """
         if ambient_color is None:
             ambient_color = ((1.0, 1.0, 1.0),)
@@ -317,10 +322,14 @@ def clone(self):
         return super().clone(other)
 
     def diffuse(self, normals, points) -> torch.Tensor:
-        return torch.zeros_like(points)
+        return self._zeros_channels(points)
 
     def specular(self, normals, points, camera_position, shininess) -> torch.Tensor:
-        return torch.zeros_like(points)
+        return self._zeros_channels(points)
+
+    def _zeros_channels(self, points: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tensor:
+        ch = self.ambient_color.shape[-1]
+        return torch.zeros(*points.shape[:-1], ch, device=points.device)
 
 
 def _validate_light_properties(obj) -> None:
diff --git a/pytorch3d/renderer/materials.py b/pytorch3d/renderer/materials.py
index 738808b72..27558ed8a 100644
--- a/pytorch3d/renderer/materials.py
+++ b/pytorch3d/renderer/materials.py
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ def __init__(
     ) -> None:
         """
         Args:
-            ambient_color: RGB ambient reflectivity of the material
-            diffuse_color: RGB diffuse reflectivity of the material
-            specular_color: RGB specular reflectivity of the material
+            ambient_color: ambient reflectivity of the material
+            diffuse_color: diffuse reflectivity of the material
+            specular_color: specular reflectivity of the material
             shininess: The specular exponent for the material. This defines
                 the focus of the specular highlight with a high value
                 resulting in a concentrated highlight. Shininess values
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ def __init__(
             device: Device (as str or torch.device) on which the tensors should be located
 
         ambient_color, diffuse_color and specular_color can be of shape
-        (1, 3) or (N, 3). shininess can be of shape (1) or (N).
+        (1, C) or (N, C) where C is typically 3 (for RGB). shininess can be of shape (1,)
+        or (N,).
 
         The colors and shininess are broadcast against each other so need to
         have either the same batch dimension or batch dimension = 1.
@@ -49,11 +50,12 @@ def __init__(
             specular_color=specular_color,
             shininess=shininess,
         )
+        C = self.ambient_color.shape[-1]
         for n in ["ambient_color", "diffuse_color", "specular_color"]:
             t = getattr(self, n)
-            if t.shape[-1] != 3:
-                msg = "Expected %s to have shape (N, 3); got %r"
-                raise ValueError(msg % (n, t.shape))
+            if t.shape[-1] != C:
+                msg = "Expected %s to have shape (N, %d); got %r"
+                raise ValueError(msg % (n, C, t.shape))
         if self.shininess.shape != torch.Size([self._N]):
             msg = "shininess should have shape (N); got %r"
             raise ValueError(msg % repr(self.shininess.shape))
diff --git a/tests/data/test_nd_sphere.png b/tests/data/test_nd_sphere.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf2f9a9ea
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/data/test_nd_sphere.png differ
diff --git a/tests/test_render_meshes.py b/tests/test_render_meshes.py
index b47a78f2f..1dcd8e1cc 100644
--- a/tests/test_render_meshes.py
+++ b/tests/test_render_meshes.py
@@ -1236,3 +1236,81 @@ def test_cameras_kwarg(self):
                 "test_simple_sphere_light_phong_%s.png" % cam_type.__name__, DATA_DIR
             )
             self.assertClose(rgb, image_ref, atol=0.05)
+
+    def test_nd_sphere(self):
+        """
+        Test that the render can handle textures with more than 3 channels and
+        not just 3 channel RGB.
+        """
+        torch.manual_seed(1)
+        device = torch.device("cuda:0")
+        C = 5
+        WHITE = ((1.0,) * C,)
+        BLACK = ((0.0,) * C,)
+
+        # Init mesh
+        sphere_mesh = ico_sphere(5, device)
+        verts_padded = sphere_mesh.verts_padded()
+        faces_padded = sphere_mesh.faces_padded()
+        feats = torch.ones(*verts_padded.shape[:-1], C, device=device)
+        n_verts = feats.shape[1]
+        # make some non-uniform pattern
+        feats *= torch.arange(0, 10, step=10 / n_verts, device=device).unsqueeze(1)
+        textures = TexturesVertex(verts_features=feats)
+        sphere_mesh = Meshes(verts=verts_padded, faces=faces_padded, textures=textures)
+
+        # No elevation or azimuth rotation
+        R, T = look_at_view_transform(2.7, 0.0, 0.0)
+
+        cameras = PerspectiveCameras(device=device, R=R, T=T)
+
+        # Init shader settings
+        materials = Materials(
+            device=device,
+            ambient_color=WHITE,
+            diffuse_color=WHITE,
+            specular_color=WHITE,
+        )
+        lights = AmbientLights(
+            device=device,
+            ambient_color=WHITE,
+        )
+        lights.location = torch.tensor([0.0, 0.0, +2.0], device=device)[None]
+
+        raster_settings = RasterizationSettings(
+            image_size=512, blur_radius=0.0, faces_per_pixel=1
+        )
+        rasterizer = MeshRasterizer(cameras=cameras, raster_settings=raster_settings)
+        blend_params = BlendParams(
+            1e-4,
+            1e-4,
+            background_color=BLACK[0],
+        )
+
+        # only test HardFlatShader since that's the only one that makes
+        # sense for classification
+        shader = HardFlatShader(
+            lights=lights,
+            cameras=cameras,
+            materials=materials,
+            blend_params=blend_params,
+        )
+        renderer = MeshRenderer(rasterizer=rasterizer, shader=shader)
+        images = renderer(sphere_mesh)
+
+        self.assertEqual(images.shape[-1], C + 1)
+        self.assertClose(images.amax(), torch.tensor(10.0), atol=0.01)
+        self.assertClose(images.amin(), torch.tensor(0.0), atol=0.01)
+
+        # grab last 3 color channels
+        rgb = (images[0, ..., C - 3 : C] / 10).squeeze().cpu()
+        filename = "test_nd_sphere.png"
+
+        if DEBUG:
+            debug_filename = "DEBUG_%s" % filename
+            Image.fromarray((rgb.numpy() * 255).astype(np.uint8)).save(
+                DATA_DIR / debug_filename
+            )
+
+        image_ref = load_rgb_image(filename, DATA_DIR)
+        self.assertClose(rgb, image_ref, atol=0.05)