diff --git a/bigints.nimble b/bigints.nimble
index 5de9609..17b8d86 100644
--- a/bigints.nimble
+++ b/bigints.nimble
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ task test, "Test bigints":
     echo "testing " & backend & " backend"
     for gc in ["refc", "arc", "orc"]:
       echo "  using " & gc & " GC"
-      for file in ["tbigints.nim", "tbugs.nim"]:
+      for file in ["tbigints.nim", "tbugs.nim", "trandom.nim"]:
         exec "nim r --hints:off --experimental:strictFuncs --backend:" & backend & " --gc:" & gc & " tests/" & file
       exec "nim doc --hints:off --backend:" & backend & " --gc:" & gc & " src/bigints.nim"
 
diff --git a/src/bigints/random.nim b/src/bigints/random.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4c7058
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bigints/random.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import ../bigints
+import std/sequtils
+import std/options
+import std/random
+
+func rand*(r: var Rand, x: Slice[BigInt]): BigInt =
+  ## Return a random `BigInt`, within the given range, using the given state.
+  assert(x.a <= x.b, "invalid range")
+  let
+    spread = x.b - x.a
+    # number of bits *not* including leading bit
+    nbits = spread.fastLog2
+    # number of limbs to generate completely randomly
+    nFullLimbs = max(nbits div 32 - 1, 0)
+    # highest possible value of the top two limbs.
+    hi64Max = (spread shr (nFullLimbs*32)).toInt[:uint64].get()
+  while true:
+    # these limbs can be generated completely arbitrarily
+    var limbs = newSeqWith(nFullLimbs, r.rand(uint32.low..uint32.high))
+    # generate the top two limbs more carefully. This all but guarantees
+    # that the entire number is in the correct range
+    let hi64 = r.rand(uint64.low..hi64Max)
+    limbs.add(cast[uint32](hi64))
+    limbs.add(cast[uint32](hi64 shr 32))
+    result = initBigInt(limbs)
+    if result <= spread:
+      break
+  result += x.a
+
+func rand*(r: var Rand, max: BigInt): BigInt =
+  ## Return a random non-negative `BigInt`, up to `max`, using the given state.
+  rand(r, 0.initBigInt..max)
+
+# backwards compatibility with 1.4
+when not defined(randState):
+  var state = initRand(777)
+  proc randState(): var Rand = state
+
+proc rand*(x: Slice[BigInt]): BigInt = rand(randState(), x)
+  ## Return a random `BigInt`, within the given range.
+
+proc rand*(max: BigInt): BigInt = rand(randState(), max)
+  ## Return a random `BigInt`, up to `max`.
diff --git a/tests/trandom.nim b/tests/trandom.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7f2b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/trandom.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import bigints
+import bigints/random
+import std/options
+
+block: # check uniformity
+  let lo = pow(10.initBigInt, 90)
+  let hi = pow(10.initBigInt, 100)
+  var total = 0.initBigInt
+  let trials = 1000
+  let nbuckets = 33
+  var buckets = newSeq[int](nbuckets)
+  for x in 0..trials:
+    let r = rand(lo..hi)
+    doAssert(lo <= r)
+    doAssert(r <= hi)
+    total += r
+    let iBucket = (r-lo) div ((hi-lo) div initBigInt(nbuckets))
+    buckets[iBucket.toInt[:int]().get()] += 1
+  for x in buckets:
+    doAssert(trials/nbuckets*0.5 < float(x))
+    doAssert(float(x) < trials/nbuckets*1.5)
+