diff --git a/src/bees-hash.cc b/src/bees-hash.cc
index cb0b2b5..d0afe81 100644
--- a/src/bees-hash.cc
+++ b/src/bees-hash.cc
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include "crucible/string.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
-#include <random>
 
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 
@@ -538,6 +537,8 @@ BeesHashTable::push_front_hash_addr(HashType hash, AddrType addr)
 	return found;
 }
 
+thread_local uniform_int_distribution<size_t> BeesHashTable::tl_distribution(0, c_cells_per_bucket - 1);
+
 /// Insert a hash entry at some unspecified point in the list.
 /// If entry is already present in list, returns true and does not
 /// modify list.  If entry is not present in list, returns false and
@@ -555,9 +556,7 @@ BeesHashTable::push_random_hash_addr(HashType hash, AddrType addr)
 	Cell *ip = find(er.first, er.second, mv);
 	bool found = (ip < er.second);
 
-	thread_local default_random_engine generator;
-	thread_local uniform_int_distribution<int> distribution(0, c_cells_per_bucket - 1);
-	auto pos = distribution(generator);
+	const auto pos = tl_distribution(bees_generator);
 
 	int case_cond = 0;
 #if 0
diff --git a/src/bees.cc b/src/bees.cc
index 9041f71..645c744 100644
--- a/src/bees.cc
+++ b/src/bees.cc
@@ -268,6 +268,13 @@ bees_unreadahead(int const fd, off_t offset, size_t size)
 	BEESCOUNTADD(readahead_unread_ms, unreadahead_timer.age() * 1000);
 }
 
+thread_local random_device bees_random_device;
+thread_local uniform_int_distribution<default_random_engine::result_type> bees_random_seed_dist(
+	numeric_limits<default_random_engine::result_type>::min(),
+	numeric_limits<default_random_engine::result_type>::max()
+);
+thread_local default_random_engine bees_generator(bees_random_seed_dist(bees_random_device));
+
 BeesStringFile::BeesStringFile(Fd dir_fd, string name, size_t limit) :
 	m_dir_fd(dir_fd),
 	m_name(name),
diff --git a/src/bees.h b/src/bees.h
index 40089ad..97c056b 100644
--- a/src/bees.h
+++ b/src/bees.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <list>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <string>
+#include <random>
 #include <thread>
 
 #include <syslog.h>
@@ -496,6 +497,8 @@ private:
 
 	BeesHashTable(const BeesHashTable &) = delete;
 	BeesHashTable &operator=(const BeesHashTable &) = delete;
+
+	static thread_local uniform_int_distribution<size_t> tl_distribution;
 };
 
 ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const BeesHashTable::Cell &bhte);
@@ -881,6 +884,7 @@ public:
 extern int bees_log_level;
 extern const char *BEES_USAGE;
 extern const char *BEES_VERSION;
+extern thread_local default_random_engine bees_generator;
 string pretty(double d);
 void bees_sync(int fd);
 void bees_readahead(int fd, off_t offset, size_t size);