diff --git a/framework/include/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.h b/framework/include/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6a135a175b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/framework/include/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.h
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#ifdef MFEM_ENABLED
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "MFEMGeneralUserObject.h"
+
+class MFEMScalarIC : public MFEMGeneralUserObject
+{
+public:
+  static InputParameters validParams();
+  MFEMScalarIC(const InputParameters & params);
+  virtual void execute() override;
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/framework/include/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.h b/framework/include/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.h
index a579b7bf3799..260d2e1d0a29 100644
--- a/framework/include/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.h
+++ b/framework/include/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.h
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ class MFEMMaterial : public MFEMGeneralUserObject
 {
 public:
   static InputParameters validParams();
-  static std::vector<std::string> subdomainsToStrings(std::vector<SubdomainName> blocks);
   static libMesh::Point pointFromMFEMVector(const mfem::Vector & vec);
 
   MFEMMaterial(const InputParameters & parameters);
@@ -21,6 +20,8 @@ class MFEMMaterial : public MFEMGeneralUserObject
   const std::vector<SubdomainName> & getBlocks() const { return _block_ids; }
 
 protected:
+  std::vector<std::string> subdomainsToStrings(std::vector<SubdomainName> blocks);
+
   std::vector<SubdomainName> _block_ids;
   platypus::PropertyManager & _properties;
 };
diff --git a/framework/include/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.h b/framework/include/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.h
index 875ca587e339..bdacf276530b 100644
--- a/framework/include/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.h
+++ b/framework/include/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.h
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ class MFEMProblem : public ExternalProblem
                    const std::string & name,
                    InputParameters & parameters) override;
 
+  void addInitialCondition(const std::string & ic_name,
+                           const std::string & name,
+                           InputParameters & parameters) override;
+
   /**
    * Method called in AddMFEMPreconditionerAction which will create the solver.
    */
@@ -196,6 +200,11 @@ class MFEMProblem : public ExternalProblem
   std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<mfem::ParGridFunction const>>
   getMeshDisplacementGridFunction();
 
+  /**
+   * @returns a shared pointer to an MFEM parallel grid function
+   */
+  std::shared_ptr<mfem::ParGridFunction> getGridFunction(const std::string & name);
+
 protected:
   /**
    * Template method for adding kernels. We can only add kernels using equation system problem
diff --git a/framework/src/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.C b/framework/src/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.C
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..82ef294bcb64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/framework/src/mfem/ics/MFEMScalarIC.C
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#ifdef MFEM_ENABLED
+
+#include "MFEMScalarIC.h"
+#include "MFEMProblem.h"
+#include <libmesh/libmesh_common.h>
+#include <mfem.hpp>
+
+registerMooseObject("MooseApp", MFEMScalarIC);
+
+InputParameters
+MFEMScalarIC::validParams()
+{
+  auto params = MFEMGeneralUserObject::validParams();
+  params.addRequiredParam<std::string>("variable",
+                                       "The variable to apply the initial condition for");
+  params.addRequiredParam<FunctionName>("coefficient", "The scalar coefficient");
+  params.registerBase("InitialCondition");
+  // We cannot generally execute this at construction time since the coefficient may be based on a
+  // MOOSE function which is not itself setup until its initialSetup is called. UserObject initial
+  // execution occurs after function initialSetup
+  params.set<ExecFlagEnum>("execute_on") = {EXEC_INITIAL};
+  params.suppressParameter<ExecFlagEnum>("execute_on");
+  return params;
+}
+
+MFEMScalarIC::MFEMScalarIC(const InputParameters & params) : MFEMGeneralUserObject(params) {}
+
+void
+MFEMScalarIC::execute()
+{
+  auto coeff = getMFEMProblem().getScalarFunctionCoefficient(getParam<FunctionName>("coefficient"));
+  auto grid_function = getMFEMProblem().getGridFunction(getParam<std::string>("variable"));
+  grid_function->ProjectCoefficient(*coeff);
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/framework/src/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.C b/framework/src/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.C
index 38a41a0096ea..67420fbdc73e 100644
--- a/framework/src/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.C
+++ b/framework/src/mfem/materials/MFEMMaterial.C
@@ -27,13 +27,31 @@ std::vector<std::string>
 MFEMMaterial::subdomainsToStrings(std::vector<SubdomainName> blocks)
 {
   std::vector<std::string> result(blocks.size());
+  auto & mesh = getMFEMProblem().mesh().getMFEMParMesh();
   // FIXME: Is there really no better way to do this conversion? It doesn't seem like it should be
   // necessary to do the various copies etc. for this.
-  std::transform(blocks.begin(),
-                 blocks.end(),
-                 result.begin(),
-                 // FIXME: How do I pass the string constructor directly?
-                 [](const SubdomainName & x) -> std::string { return std::string(x); });
+  std::transform(
+      blocks.begin(),
+      blocks.end(),
+      result.begin(),
+      // FIXME: How do I pass the string constructor directly?
+      [this, &mesh](const SubdomainName & x) -> std::string
+      {
+        try
+        {
+          // Is this a block ID?
+          std::stoi(x);
+          return std::string(x);
+        }
+        catch (...)
+        {
+          // It was not
+          auto & block_ids = mesh.attribute_sets.GetAttributeSet(x);
+          if (block_ids.Size() != 1)
+            this->mooseError("There should be a 1-to-1 correspondence between block name and block ID");
+          return std::to_string(block_ids[0]);
+        }
+      });
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/framework/src/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.C b/framework/src/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.C
index 090ca40c0825..0b69074f3c19 100644
--- a/framework/src/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.C
+++ b/framework/src/mfem/problem/MFEMProblem.C
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifdef MFEM_ENABLED
 
 #include "MFEMProblem.h"
+#include "MFEMScalarIC.h"
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -383,4 +384,19 @@ MFEMProblem::mesh()
   return (MFEMMesh &)_mesh;
 }
 
+std::shared_ptr<mfem::ParGridFunction>
+MFEMProblem::getGridFunction(const std::string & name)
+{
+  return getUserObject<MFEMVariable>(name).getGridFunction();
+}
+
+void
+MFEMProblem::addInitialCondition(const std::string & ic_name,
+                                 const std::string & name,
+                                 InputParameters & parameters)
+{
+  FEProblemBase::addUserObject(ic_name, name, parameters);
+  getUserObject<MFEMScalarIC>(name); // error check
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/test/tests/mfem/kernels/diffusion.i b/test/tests/mfem/kernels/diffusion.i
index 607be54273cc..4a07cd30f6c3 100644
--- a/test/tests/mfem/kernels/diffusion.i
+++ b/test/tests/mfem/kernels/diffusion.i
@@ -23,6 +23,21 @@
   []
 []
 
+[ICs]
+  [diffused_ic]
+    type = MFEMScalarIC
+    coefficient = one
+    variable = diffused
+  []
+[]
+
+[Functions]
+  [one]
+    type = ParsedFunction
+    expression = 1.0
+  []
+[]
+
 [BCs]
   [bottom]
     type = MFEMScalarDirichletBC
@@ -43,6 +58,7 @@
     type = MFEMGenericConstantMaterial
     prop_names = diffusivity
     prop_values = 1.0
+    block = 'the_domain'
   []
 []
 
diff --git a/test/tests/mfem/kernels/gold/mug.e b/test/tests/mfem/kernels/gold/mug.e
index 99190251d9ec..af9c3ac30ff0 100644
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diff --git a/unit/data/mug.e b/unit/data/mug.e
index 99190251d9ec..af9c3ac30ff0 100644
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