diff --git a/flags.go b/flags.go
index a839a5f..b56b3a9 100644
--- a/flags.go
+++ b/flags.go
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ var descTagsOption = "Filter scenarios by tags. Expression can be:\n" +
 	s(4) + "- " + colors.Yellow(`"@wip && ~@new"`) + ": run wip scenarios, but exclude new\n" +
 	s(4) + "- " + colors.Yellow(`"@wip,@undone"`) + ": run wip or undone scenarios"
 
+var descRandomOption = "Randomly shuffle the scenario execution order.\n" +
+	"Specify SEED to reproduce the shuffling from a previous run.\n" +
+	s(4) + `e.g. ` + colors.Yellow(`--random`) + " or " + colors.Yellow(`--random=5738`)
+
 // FlagSet allows to manage flags by external suite runner
 func FlagSet(opt *Options) *flag.FlagSet {
 	descFormatOption := "How to format tests output. Available formats:\n"
@@ -46,8 +50,7 @@ func FlagSet(opt *Options) *flag.FlagSet {
 	set.BoolVar(&opt.ShowStepDefinitions, "d", false, "Print all available step definitions.")
 	set.BoolVar(&opt.StopOnFailure, "stop-on-failure", false, "Stop processing on first failed scenario.")
 	set.BoolVar(&opt.NoColors, "no-colors", false, "Disable ansi colors.")
-	set.BoolVar(&opt.Randomize, "random", false, "Randomize scenario execution order.")
-	set.Int64Var(&opt.RandomSeed, "seed", 0, "Specify random seed to reproduce shuffling from a previous run.\n(implies --random)")
+	set.Var(&opt.Randomize, "random", descRandomOption)
 	set.Usage = usage(set, opt.Output)
 	return set
 }
@@ -67,12 +70,12 @@ func (f *flagged) name() string {
 		name = fmt.Sprintf("-%s", f.short)
 	}
 
-	if f.long == "seed" {
-		// `seed`` is special in that we will later assign it randomly
+	if f.long == "random" {
+		// `random` is special in that we will later assign it randomly
 		// if the user specifies `--random` without specifying one,
 		// so mask the "default" value here to avoid UI confusion about
 		// what the value will end up being.
-		name += "=SEED"
+		name += "[=SEED]"
 	} else if f.dflt != "true" && f.dflt != "false" {
 		name += "=" + f.dflt
 	}
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index b1d9625..b5899d9 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package godog
 
-import "io"
+import (
+	"io"
+	"math/rand"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // Options are suite run options
 // flags are mapped to these options.
@@ -13,23 +18,22 @@ type Options struct {
 	// Print step definitions found and exit
 	ShowStepDefinitions bool
 
-	// Randomize causes scenarios to be run in random order.
+	// Randomize, if not `0`, will be used to run scenarios in a random order.
 	//
 	// Randomizing scenario order is especially helpful for detecting
 	// situations where you have state leaking between scenarios, which can
 	// cause flickering or fragile tests.
-	Randomize bool
-
-	// RandomSeed allows specifying the seed to reproduce the random scenario
-	// shuffling from a previous run.
 	//
-	// When `RandomSeed` is left at the nil value (`0`), but `Randomize`
-	// has been set to `true`, then godog will automatically pick a random
-	// seed between `1-99999` for ease of specification.
+	// The default value of `0` means "do not randomize".
 	//
-	// If RandomSeed is set to anything other than the default nil value (`0`),
-	// then `Randomize = true` will be implied.
-	RandomSeed int64
+	// The magic value of `-1` means "pick a random seed for me", and godog will
+	// assign a seed on it's own during the `RunWithOptions` phase, similar to if
+	// you specified `--random` on the command line.
+	//
+	// Any other value will be used as the random seed for shuffling. Re-using the
+	// same seed will allow you to reproduce the shuffle order of a previous run
+	// to isolate an error condition.
+	Randomize randomSeed
 
 	// Stops on the first failure
 	StopOnFailure bool
@@ -53,3 +57,40 @@ type Options struct {
 	// Where it should print formatter output
 	Output io.Writer
 }
+
+// randomSeed implements `flag.Value`, see https://golang.org/pkg/flag/#Value
+type randomSeed int64
+
+// Choose randomly assigns a convenient pseudo-random seed value.
+// The resulting seed will be between `1-99999` for later ease of specification.
+func (rs *randomSeed) Choose() {
+	r := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UTC().UnixNano()))
+	*rs = randomSeed(r.Int63n(99998) + 1)
+}
+
+func (rs *randomSeed) Set(s string) error {
+	if s == "true" {
+		rs.Choose()
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if s == "false" {
+		*rs = 0
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	i, err := strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 64)
+	*rs = randomSeed(i)
+	return err
+}
+
+func (rs randomSeed) String() string {
+	return strconv.FormatInt(int64(rs), 10)
+}
+
+// If a Value has an IsBoolFlag() bool method returning true, the command-line
+// parser makes -name equivalent to -name=true rather than using the next
+// command-line argument.
+func (rs *randomSeed) IsBoolFlag() bool {
+	return *rs == 0
+}
diff --git a/run.go b/run.go
index a20fd34..0aca7f8 100644
--- a/run.go
+++ b/run.go
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ package godog
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"math/rand"
 	"os"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/DATA-DOG/godog/colors"
 )
@@ -111,23 +109,17 @@ func RunWithOptions(suite string, contextInitializer func(suite *Suite), opt Opt
 	features, err := parseFeatures(opt.Tags, opt.Paths)
 	fatal(err)
 
-	// the actual seed value which will be propogated
-	// if left as nil value, then scenarios run sequentially
-	var seed int64
-	// use specified seed if exists, or assign one ourselves if
-	// none specified but user wants randomization
-	if opt.RandomSeed != 0 {
-		seed = opt.RandomSeed
-	} else if opt.Randomize && opt.RandomSeed == 0 {
-		r := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UTC().UnixNano()))
-		seed = r.Int63n(99998) + 1
+	// handle convenience condition where user specified `-1` in Options struct,
+	// asking us to choose the random value seed for them.
+	if opt.Randomize == -1 {
+		opt.Randomize.Choose()
 	}
 
 	r := runner{
 		fmt:           formatter(suite, output),
 		initializer:   contextInitializer,
 		features:      features,
-		randomSeed:    seed,
+		randomSeed:    int64(opt.Randomize),
 		stopOnFailure: opt.StopOnFailure,
 	}