diff --git a/boards/pca10000/include/periph_conf.h b/boards/pca10000/include/periph_conf.h
index 90aba936b2..25fb6ce0db 100644
--- a/boards/pca10000/include/periph_conf.h
+++ b/boards/pca10000/include/periph_conf.h
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@
 #define UART_0_PIN_CTS      10
 /** @} */
 
+/**
+ * @name Random Number Generator configuration
+ * @{
+ */
+#define RANDOM_NUMOF        (1U)
+/** @} */
+
 /**
  * @name GPIO configuration
  * @{
diff --git a/boards/pca10005/include/periph_conf.h b/boards/pca10005/include/periph_conf.h
index 4327867302..1f1f9bad13 100644
--- a/boards/pca10005/include/periph_conf.h
+++ b/boards/pca10005/include/periph_conf.h
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@
 #define UART_0_PIN_TX       9
 /** @} */
 
+/**
+ * @name Random Number Generator configuration
+ * @{
+ */
+#define RANDOM_NUMOF        (1U)
+/** @} */
+
 
 /**
  * @name GPIO configuration
diff --git a/cpu/nrf51822/periph/random.c b/cpu/nrf51822/periph/random.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3d9f41a0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpu/nrf51822/periph/random.c
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser General
+ * Public License v2.1. See the file LICENSE in the top level directory for more
+ * details.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @ingroup     cpu_nrf51822
+ * @{
+ *
+ * @file
+ * @brief       Driver for the NRF51822 random number generator
+ *
+ * @author      Hauke Petersen <hauke.petersen@fu-berlin.de>
+ *
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#include "cpu.h"
+#include "periph_conf.h"
+#include "periph/random.h"
+
+/* guard file in case no random device was specified */
+#if RANDOM_NUMOF
+
+void random_init(void)
+{
+    NRF_RNG->POWER = 1;
+    NRF_RNG->TASKS_START = 1;
+}
+
+int random_read(char *buf, unsigned int num)
+{
+    unsigned int count = 0;
+
+    while (count < num) {
+        while (NRF_RNG->EVENTS_VALRDY == 0);
+        NRF_RNG->EVENTS_VALRDY = 0;
+        buf[count++] = (char)NRF_RNG->VALUE;
+    }
+
+    return count;
+}
+
+void random_poweron(void)
+{
+    NRF_RNG->POWER = 1;
+}
+
+void random_poweroff(void)
+{
+    NRF_RNG->POWER = 0;
+}
+
+#endif /* RANDOM_NUMOF */