diff --git a/wled00/FX.cpp b/wled00/FX.cpp
index e162e345..c26cf3b8 100644
--- a/wled00/FX.cpp
+++ b/wled00/FX.cpp
@@ -1722,7 +1722,7 @@ uint16_t mode_multi_comet(void) {
       }
       comets[i]++;
     } else {
-      if(!random(SEGLEN)) {
+      if(!random16(SEGLEN)) {
         comets[i] = 0;
       }
     }
@@ -2074,7 +2074,7 @@ uint16_t mode_fire_2012() {
 
       // Step 1.  Cool down every cell a little
       for (int i = 0; i < SEGLEN; i++) {
-        uint8_t cool = (it != SEGENV.step) ? random8((((20 + SEGMENT.speed/3) * 16) / SEGLEN)+2) : random(4);
+        uint8_t cool = (it != SEGENV.step) ? random8((((20 + SEGMENT.speed/3) * 16) / SEGLEN)+2) : random8(4);
         uint8_t minTemp = (i<ignition) ? (ignition-i)/4 + 16 : 0;  // should not become black in ignition area
         uint8_t temp = qsub8(heat[i], cool);
         heat[i] = temp<minTemp ? minTemp : temp;
@@ -4580,15 +4580,15 @@ class AuroraWave {
 
   public:
     void init(uint32_t segment_length, CRGB color) {
-      ttl = random(500, 1501);
+      ttl = random16(500, 1501);
       basecolor = color;
-      basealpha = random(60, 101) / (float)100;
+      basealpha = random8(60, 101) / (float)100;
       age = 0;
-      width = random(segment_length / 20, segment_length / W_WIDTH_FACTOR); //half of width to make math easier
+      width = random16(segment_length / 20, segment_length / W_WIDTH_FACTOR); //half of width to make math easier
       if (!width) width = 1;
-      center = random(101) / (float)100 * segment_length;
-      goingleft = random(0, 2) == 0;
-      speed_factor = (random(10, 31) / (float)100 * W_MAX_SPEED / 255);
+      center = random8(101) / (float)100 * segment_length;
+      goingleft = random8(0, 2) == 0;
+      speed_factor = (random8(10, 31) / (float)100 * W_MAX_SPEED / 255);
       alive = true;
     }
 
@@ -4673,7 +4673,7 @@ uint16_t mode_aurora(void) {
     waves = reinterpret_cast<AuroraWave*>(SEGENV.data);
 
     for (int i = 0; i < SEGENV.aux1; i++) {
-      waves[i].init(SEGLEN, CRGB(SEGMENT.color_from_palette(random8(), false, false, random(0, 3))));
+      waves[i].init(SEGLEN, CRGB(SEGMENT.color_from_palette(random8(), false, false, random8(0, 3))));
     }
   } else {
     waves = reinterpret_cast<AuroraWave*>(SEGENV.data);
@@ -4685,7 +4685,7 @@ uint16_t mode_aurora(void) {
 
     if(!(waves[i].stillAlive())) {
       //If a wave dies, reinitialize it starts over.
-      waves[i].init(SEGLEN, CRGB(SEGMENT.color_from_palette(random8(), false, false, random(0, 3))));
+      waves[i].init(SEGLEN, CRGB(SEGMENT.color_from_palette(random8(), false, false, random8(0, 3))));
     }
   }
 
@@ -5993,7 +5993,7 @@ uint16_t mode_2Dghostrider(void) {
       if (lighter->reg[i]) {
         lighter->lightersPosY[i] = lighter->gPosY;
         lighter->lightersPosX[i] = lighter->gPosX;
-        lighter->Angle[i] = lighter->gAngle + random(-10, 10);
+        lighter->Angle[i] = lighter->gAngle + ((int)random8(20) - 10);
         lighter->time[i] = 0;
         lighter->reg[i] = false;
       } else {
@@ -6928,7 +6928,7 @@ uint16_t mode_puddlepeak(void) {                // Puddlepeak. By Andrew Tuline.
 
   uint16_t size = 0;
   uint8_t fadeVal = map(SEGMENT.speed,0,255, 224, 254);
-  uint16_t pos = random(SEGLEN);                          // Set a random starting position.
+  uint16_t pos = random16(SEGLEN);                        // Set a random starting position.
 
   um_data_t *um_data;
   if (!usermods.getUMData(&um_data, USERMOD_ID_AUDIOREACTIVE)) {
diff --git a/wled00/wled.cpp b/wled00/wled.cpp
index 2a00457b..4491c8d1 100644
--- a/wled00/wled.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled.cpp
@@ -735,7 +735,20 @@ void WLED::setup()
   DEBUG_PRINT(pcTaskGetTaskName(NULL)); DEBUG_PRINT(F(" free stack ")); DEBUG_PRINTLN(uxTaskGetStackHighWaterMark(NULL));
   #endif
 
+  // Seed FastLED random functions with an esp random value, which already works properly at this point.
+#if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32)
+  uint32_t seed32 = esp_random();
+  seed32 ^= random();  // WLEDMM some extra entropy (for older frameworks where esp_ramdom alone might be too predictable after startup)
+#elif defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266)
+  const uint32_t seed32 = RANDOM_REG32;
+#else
+  const uint32_t seed32 = random(std::numeric_limits<long>::max());
+#endif
+  random16_set_seed((uint16_t)((seed32 & 0xFFFF) ^ (seed32 >> 16)));
+
+  #if WLED_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT > 0
   enableWatchdog();
+  #endif
 
   #if defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32) && defined(WLED_DISABLE_BROWNOUT_DET)
   WRITE_PERI_REG(RTC_CNTL_BROWN_OUT_REG, 1); //enable brownout detector