diff --git a/basis/random/dummy/dummy.factor b/basis/random/dummy/dummy.factor
index e6661dc078..5763570d75 100644
--- a/basis/random/dummy/dummy.factor
+++ b/basis/random/dummy/dummy.factor
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ IN: random.dummy
 TUPLE: random-dummy i ;
 C: <random-dummy> random-dummy
 
-M: random-dummy seed-random ( seed obj -- )
-    (>>i) ;
+M: random-dummy seed-random ( obj seed -- obj )
+    >>i ;
 
-M: random-dummy random-32* ( obj -- r )
+M: random-dummy random-32 ( obj -- r )
     [ dup 1 + ] change-i drop ;
diff --git a/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister-tests.factor b/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister-tests.factor
index 651e43ef5b..30caa56059 100644
--- a/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister-tests.factor
@@ -16,14 +16,20 @@ IN: random.mersenne-twister.tests
 [ f ] [ 1234 [ randoms randoms = ] test-rng ] unit-test
 
 [ 1333075495 ] [
-    0 [ 1000 [ drop random-generator get random-32* drop ] each random-generator get random-32* ] test-rng
+    0 [ 1000 [ drop random-generator get random-32 drop ] each random-generator get random-32 ] test-rng
 ] unit-test
 
 [ 1575309035 ] [
-    0 [ 10000 [ drop random-generator get random-32* drop ] each random-generator get random-32* ] test-rng
+    0 [ 10000 [ drop random-generator get random-32 drop ] each random-generator get random-32 ] test-rng
 ] unit-test
 
 
 [ 3 ] [ 101 [ 3 random-bytes length ] test-rng ] unit-test
 [ 33 ] [ 101 [ 33 random-bytes length ] test-rng ] unit-test
 [ t ] [ 101 [ 100 random-bits log2 90 > ] test-rng ] unit-test
+
+[ t ]
+[
+    1234 <mersenne-twister>
+    [ random-32 ] [ 1234 seed-random random-32 ] bi =
+] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister.factor b/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister.factor
index e29f97ef2e..0e65e195e4 100644
--- a/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister.factor
+++ b/basis/random/mersenne-twister/mersenne-twister.factor
@@ -62,15 +62,21 @@ PRIVATE>
     init-mt-seq 0 mersenne-twister boa
     dup mt-generate ;
 
-M: mersenne-twister seed-random ( mt seed -- )
-    init-mt-seq >>seq drop ;
+M: mersenne-twister seed-random ( mt seed -- mt' )
+    init-mt-seq >>seq
+    [ mt-generate ]
+    [ 0 >>i drop ]
+    [ ] tri ;
 
-M: mersenne-twister random-32* ( mt -- r )
+M: mersenne-twister random-32 ( mt -- r )
     [ next-index ]
     [ seq>> nth-unsafe mt-temper ]
     [ [ 1 + ] change-i drop ] tri ;
 
-[
+: default-mersenne-twister ( -- mersenne-twister )
     [ 32 random-bits ] with-system-random
-    <mersenne-twister> random-generator set-global
+    <mersenne-twister> ;
+
+[
+    default-mersenne-twister random-generator set-global
 ] "bootstrap.random" add-init-hook
diff --git a/basis/random/random-docs.factor b/basis/random/random-docs.factor
index bb0fc57312..a297df9fd6 100755
--- a/basis/random/random-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/random/random-docs.factor
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@ USING: help.markup help.syntax math kernel sequences ;
 IN: random
 
 HELP: seed-random
-{ $values { "tuple" "a random number generator" } { "seed" "an integer between 0 and 2^32-1" } }
-{ $description "Seed the random number generator." }
+{ $values
+    { "tuple" "a random number generator" }
+    { "seed" "a seed specific to the random number generator" }
+    { "tuple'" "a random number generator" }
+}
+{ $description "Seed the random number generator. Repeatedly seeding the random number generator should provide the same sequence of random numbers." }
 { $notes "Not supported on all random number generators." } ;
 
-HELP: random-32*
+HELP: random-32
 { $values { "tuple" "a random number generator" } { "r" "an integer between 0 and 2^32-1" } }
 { $description "Generates a random 32-bit unsigned integer." } ;
 
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ HELP: delete-random
 
 ARTICLE: "random-protocol" "Random protocol"
 "A random number generator must implement one of these two words:"
-{ $subsection random-32* }
+{ $subsection random-32 }
 { $subsection random-bytes* }
 "Optional, to seed a random number generator:"
 { $subsection seed-random } ;
diff --git a/basis/random/random.factor b/basis/random/random.factor
index afdf0b43ba..db15f78ee1 100755
--- a/basis/random/random.factor
+++ b/basis/random/random.factor
@@ -10,19 +10,19 @@ SYMBOL: system-random-generator
 SYMBOL: secure-random-generator
 SYMBOL: random-generator
 
-GENERIC: seed-random ( tuple seed -- )
-GENERIC: random-32* ( tuple -- r )
+GENERIC# seed-random 1 ( tuple seed -- tuple' )
+GENERIC: random-32 ( tuple -- r )
 GENERIC: random-bytes* ( n tuple -- byte-array )
 
 M: object random-bytes* ( n tuple -- byte-array )
     [ [ <byte-vector> ] keep 4 /mod ] dip
-    [ pick '[ _ random-32* 4 >le _ push-all ] times ]
+    [ pick '[ _ random-32 4 >le _ push-all ] times ]
     [
         over zero?
-        [ 2drop ] [ random-32* 4 >le swap head over push-all ] if
+        [ 2drop ] [ random-32 4 >le swap head over push-all ] if
     ] bi-curry bi* ;
 
-M: object random-32* ( tuple -- r ) 4 random-bytes* le> ;
+M: object random-32 ( tuple -- r ) 4 random-bytes* le> ;
 
 ERROR: no-random-number-generator ;
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ M: no-random-number-generator summary
 
 M: f random-bytes* ( n obj -- * ) no-random-number-generator ;
 
-M: f random-32* ( obj -- * ) no-random-number-generator ;
+M: f random-32 ( obj -- * ) no-random-number-generator ;
 
 : random-bytes ( n -- byte-array )
     random-generator get random-bytes* ;
diff --git a/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub-tests.factor b/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub-tests.factor
index 4b0dee642e..5b05b09a4c 100644
--- a/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub-tests.factor
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ grouping ;
 IN: blum-blum-shub.tests
 
 [ 887708070 ] [
-    T{ blum-blum-shub f 590695557939 811977232793 } clone random-32*
+    T{ blum-blum-shub f 590695557939 811977232793 } clone random-32
 ] unit-test
 
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ IN: blum-blum-shub.tests
 [ 3716213681 ]
 [
     100 T{ blum-blum-shub f 200352954495 846054538649 } clone tuck [
-        random-32* drop
+        random-32 drop
     ] curry times
-    random-32*
+    random-32
 ] unit-test
diff --git a/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub.factor b/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub.factor
index 8229abca69..9f504cefb5 100755
--- a/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub.factor
+++ b/extra/random/blum-blum-shub/blum-blum-shub.factor
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ PRIVATE>
     [ find-relative-prime ] keep
     blum-blum-shub boa ;
 
-M: blum-blum-shub random-32* ( bbs -- r )
+M: blum-blum-shub random-32 ( bbs -- r )
     0 32 rot
     [ next-bbs-bit swap 1 shift bitor ] curry times ;