diff --git a/examples/default/Makefile b/examples/default/Makefile
index 4dd2c77759..372aeb2a0f 100644
--- a/examples/default/Makefile
+++ b/examples/default/Makefile
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ ifneq (,$(findstring msba2,$(BOARD)))
 	USEMODULE += mci
 	USEMODULE += cc110x_ng
 	USEMODULE += config
+	USEMODULE += random
 	export INCLUDES += -I$(RIOTBASE)/drivers/cc110x_ng/include
 endif
 ifneq (,$(findstring native,$(BOARD)))
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ ifneq (,$(findstring native,$(BOARD)))
 	USEMODULE += nativenet
 	USEMODULE += transceiver
 	USEMODULE += config
+	USEMODULE += random
 endif
 
 export INCLUDES += -I${RIOTBASE}/core/include/ -I${RIOTBASE}/sys/include/ -I${RIOTBASE}/drivers/include/
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/Makefile b/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
index 7b7ccb7ae0..8f222df247 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ endif
 ifneq (,$(findstring lpc_common,$(USEMODULE)))
 	SRC += sc_heap.c
 endif
+ifneq (,$(findstring random,$(USEMODULE)))
+	SRC += sc_mersenne.c
+endif
 
 OBJ = $(SRC:%.c=$(BINDIR)%.o)
 DEP = $(SRC:%.c=$(BINDIR)%.d)
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c b/sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8cfdcc91fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/**
+ * Shell commands for mersenne twister
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Freie Universität Berlin
+ *
+ * This file is subject to the terms and conditions of the GNU Lesser General
+ * Public License. See the file LICENSE in the top level directory for more
+ * details.
+ *
+ * @ingroup shell_commands
+ * @{
+ * @file    sc_mersenne.c
+ * @brief   initializes the PRNG
+ * @author  Christian Mehlis <mehlis@inf.fu-berlin.de>
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
+
+#include "hwtimer.h"
+#include "random.h"
+
+void _mersenne_init(char *str)
+{
+    int initval;
+    char *toc_str = strtok(str, " ");
+
+    toc_str = strtok(NULL, " ");
+    if (!toc_str) {
+        initval = hwtimer_now();
+        printf("PRNG inizialized to current time: %d\n", initval);
+    } else {
+        initval = atoi(toc_str);
+        printf("PRNG inizialized given value: %d\n", initval);
+    }
+
+    genrand_init(initval);
+}
+
+void _mersenne_get(char *str)
+{
+    (void) str;
+
+    printf("%" PRIu32 "\n", genrand_uint32());
+}
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
index 45a8e4a3e0..cd8749baf0 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ extern void _read_sector(char *sector);
 extern void _read_bytes(char *bytes);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef MODULE_RANDOM
+extern void _mersenne_init(char *str);
+extern void _mersenne_get(char *str);
+#endif
+
 const shell_command_t _shell_command_list[] = {
     {"id", "Gets or sets the node's id.", _id_handler},
 #ifdef MODULE_LPC_COMMON
@@ -154,6 +159,10 @@ const shell_command_t _shell_command_list[] = {
     {DISK_GET_SECTOR_SIZE, "Get the sector size of inserted memory card", _get_sectorsize},
     {DISK_GET_SECTOR_COUNT, "Get the sector count of inserted memory card", _get_sectorcount},
     {DISK_GET_BLOCK_SIZE, "Get the block size of inserted memory card", _get_blocksize},
+#endif
+#ifdef MODULE_RANDOM
+    { "mersenne_init", "initializes the PRNG", _mersenne_init },
+    { "mersenne_get", "returns 32 bit of pseudo randomness", _mersenne_get },
 #endif
     {NULL, NULL, NULL}
 };