diff --git a/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/collect_current_file.py b/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/collect_current_file.py
index c0b987ebbc..1383c274a2 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/collect_current_file.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/collect_current_file.py
@@ -1,27 +1,28 @@
 import os
 import hou
 
+from openpype.pipeline import legacy_io
 import pyblish.api
 
 
 class CollectHoudiniCurrentFile(pyblish.api.ContextPlugin):
     """Inject the current working file into context"""
 
-    order = pyblish.api.CollectorOrder - 0.5
+    order = pyblish.api.CollectorOrder - 0.01
     label = "Houdini Current File"
     hosts = ["houdini"]
 
     def process(self, context):
         """Inject the current working file"""
 
-        filepath = hou.hipFile.path()
-        if not os.path.exists(filepath):
+        current_file = hou.hipFile.path()
+        if not os.path.exists(current_file):
             # By default Houdini will even point a new scene to a path.
             # However if the file is not saved at all and does not exist,
             # we assume the user never set it.
             filepath = ""
 
-        elif os.path.basename(filepath) == "untitled.hip":
+        elif os.path.basename(current_file) == "untitled.hip":
             # Due to even a new file being called 'untitled.hip' we are unable
             # to confirm the current scene was ever saved because the file
             # could have existed already. We will allow it if the file exists,
@@ -33,4 +34,43 @@ class CollectHoudiniCurrentFile(pyblish.api.ContextPlugin):
                 "saved correctly."
             )
 
-        context.data["currentFile"] = filepath
+        context.data["currentFile"] = current_file
+
+        folder, file = os.path.split(current_file)
+        filename, ext = os.path.splitext(file)
+
+        task = legacy_io.Session["AVALON_TASK"]
+
+        data = {}
+
+        # create instance
+        instance = context.create_instance(name=filename)
+        subset = 'workfile' + task.capitalize()
+
+        data.update({
+            "subset": subset,
+            "asset": os.getenv("AVALON_ASSET", None),
+            "label": subset,
+            "publish": True,
+            "family": 'workfile',
+            "families": ['workfile'],
+            "setMembers": [current_file],
+            "frameStart": context.data['frameStart'],
+            "frameEnd": context.data['frameEnd'],
+            "handleStart": context.data['handleStart'],
+            "handleEnd": context.data['handleEnd']
+        })
+
+        data['representations'] = [{
+            'name': ext.lstrip("."),
+            'ext': ext.lstrip("."),
+            'files': file,
+            "stagingDir": folder,
+        }]
+
+        instance.data.update(data)
+
+        self.log.info('Collected instance: {}'.format(file))
+        self.log.info('Scene path: {}'.format(current_file))
+        self.log.info('staging Dir: {}'.format(folder))
+        self.log.info('subset: {}'.format(subset))
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/validate_workfile_paths.py b/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/validate_workfile_paths.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79b3e894e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpype/hosts/houdini/plugins/publish/validate_workfile_paths.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import openpype.api
+import pyblish.api
+import hou
+
+
+class ValidateWorkfilePaths(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
+    """Validate workfile paths so they are absolute."""
+
+    order = pyblish.api.ValidatorOrder
+    families = ["workfile"]
+    hosts = ["houdini"]
+    label = "Validate Workfile Paths"
+    actions = [openpype.api.RepairAction]
+    optional = True
+
+    node_types = ["file", "alembic"]
+    prohibited_vars = ["$HIP", "$JOB"]
+
+    def process(self, instance):
+        invalid = self.get_invalid()
+        self.log.info(
+            "node types to check: {}".format(", ".join(self.node_types)))
+        self.log.info(
+            "prohibited vars: {}".format(", ".join(self.prohibited_vars))
+        )
+        if invalid:
+            for param in invalid:
+                self.log.error(
+                    "{}: {}".format(param.path(), param.unexpandedString()))
+
+            raise RuntimeError("Invalid paths found")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_invalid(cls):
+        invalid = []
+        for param, _ in hou.fileReferences():
+            # skip nodes we are not interested in
+            if param.node().type().name() not in cls.node_types:
+                continue
+
+            if any(
+                    v for v in cls.prohibited_vars
+                    if v in param.unexpandedString()):
+                invalid.append(param)
+
+        return invalid
+
+    @classmethod
+    def repair(cls, instance):
+        invalid = cls.get_invalid()
+        for param in invalid:
+            cls.log.info("processing: {}".format(param.path()))
+            cls.log.info("Replacing {} for {}".format(
+                param.unexpandedString(),
+                hou.text.expandString(param.unexpandedString())))
+            param.set(hou.text.expandString(param.unexpandedString()))
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/houdini/startup/python3.9libs/pythonrc.py b/openpype/hosts/houdini/startup/python3.9libs/pythonrc.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..afadbffd3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpype/hosts/houdini/startup/python3.9libs/pythonrc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from openpype.pipeline import install_host
+from openpype.hosts.houdini import api
+
+
+def main():
+    print("Installing OpenPype ...")
+    install_host(api)
+
+
+main()
diff --git a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
index 911bf82d9b..b7d2104ba1 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/houdini.json
@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@
         }
     },
     "publish": {
+        "ValidateWorkfilePaths": {
+            "enabled": true,
+            "optional": true,
+            "node_types": [
+                "file",
+                "alembic"
+            ],
+            "prohibited_vars": [
+                "$HIP",
+                "$JOB"
+            ]
+        },
         "ValidateContainers": {
             "enabled": true,
             "optional": true,
diff --git a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
index cad99dde22..d8728c0f4b 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_houdini.json
@@ -10,22 +10,8 @@
             "name": "schema_houdini_create"
         },
         {
-            "type": "dict",
-            "collapsible": true,
-            "key": "publish",
-            "label": "Publish plugins",
-            "children": [
-                {
-                    "type": "schema_template",
-                    "name": "template_publish_plugin",
-                    "template_data": [
-                        {
-                            "key": "ValidateContainers",
-                            "label": "ValidateContainers"
-                        }
-                    ]
-                }
-            ]
+            "type": "schema",
+            "name": "schema_houdini_publish"
         }
     ]
 }
diff --git a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa6eaf5164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schemas/schema_houdini_publish.json
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+{
+  "type": "dict",
+  "collapsible": true,
+  "key": "publish",
+  "label": "Publish plugins",
+  "children": [
+    {
+      "type": "dict",
+      "collapsible": true,
+      "checkbox_key": "enabled",
+      "key": "ValidateWorkfilePaths",
+      "label": "Validate Workfile Paths",
+      "is_group": true,
+      "children": [
+        {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "key": "enabled",
+            "label": "Enabled"
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "key": "optional",
+            "label": "Optional"
+        },
+        {
+            "key": "node_types",
+            "label": "Node types",
+            "type": "list",
+            "object_type": "text"
+        },
+        {
+            "key": "prohibited_vars",
+            "label": "Prohibited variables",
+            "type": "list",
+            "object_type": "text"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "schema_template",
+      "name": "template_publish_plugin",
+      "template_data": [
+          {
+              "key": "ValidateContainers",
+              "label": "ValidateContainers"
+          }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file