diff --git a/include/basic_color_printer.hpp b/include/basic_color_printer.hpp
index eebede6..780a088 100644
--- a/include/basic_color_printer.hpp
+++ b/include/basic_color_printer.hpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ private:
 	int m_col = 0;    //current column number
 	int m_line = 0;   //current line number
 	int m_index = -1; //index in lookup_table
+	const int m_randomness; //change starting color
 public:
 	constexpr basic_color_printer(const cmd_args& args)noexcept;
 	~basic_color_printer(void)noexcept = default;
diff --git a/include/basic_color_printer.tpp b/include/basic_color_printer.tpp
index 6d7fa80..4b521c0 100644
--- a/include/basic_color_printer.tpp
+++ b/include/basic_color_printer.tpp
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@
 #include <cwchar> //wcwidth
 
 #include <cstdio> //wprintf, putwchar
+#include <cstdlib> //rand
 
 template<int I>
 constexpr basic_color_printer<I>::basic_color_printer(const cmd_args& args)noexcept:
-	color_printer_base<basic_color_printer<I>>(args){}
+	color_printer_base<basic_color_printer<I>>(args),
+	m_randomness(rand()%color_lookup_len){}
 template<int I>
 basic_color_printer<I>& basic_color_printer<I>::_print(const wchar_t s)noexcept{
 	if(s == L'\n'){
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ basic_color_printer<I>& basic_color_printer<I>::_print(const wchar_t s)noexcept{
 		else
 			inc_col(1);
 	}
-	long new_index = static_cast<int>(this->m_freq*m_col + this->m_spread*m_line) % color_lookup_len;
+	long new_index = static_cast<int>(this->m_freq*m_col + this->m_spread*m_line + m_randomness) % color_lookup_len;
 	if(new_index < 0)
 		new_index += color_lookup_len;
 	if(new_index != m_index){
diff --git a/include/cmd.hpp b/include/cmd.hpp
index b7ef63b..380689f 100644
--- a/include/cmd.hpp
+++ b/include/cmd.hpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct cmd_args{
 	std::vector<const char*> filenames;
 	float freq = 0.2f;
 	float spread = 0.3f;
+	long seed = 0;
 	unsigned number:2;
 	unsigned ends:1;
 	unsigned squeeze:1;
diff --git a/include/color_printer_true.hpp b/include/color_printer_true.hpp
index e1f333d..e8155bf 100644
--- a/include/color_printer_true.hpp
+++ b/include/color_printer_true.hpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <cstdlib> //std::abs
 #include <algorithm> //std::min, std::max
 #include <cstdio> //wprintf, putwchar
+#include <cstdlib> //rand
 
 //True color printer. Too many options to enumerate the entire list of possible colors, so we calculate on the fly
 class color_printer_true : public color_printer_base<color_printer_true>
@@ -48,7 +49,28 @@ private:
 		color curr = color::red;
 
 
-		constexpr color_state(void)noexcept = default;
+		constexpr color_state(void)noexcept{
+			switch(rand()%3){
+			case 0:
+				r = color_max_amount;
+				g = rand()%(color_max_amount-color_min_amount) + color_min_amount;
+				b = color_min_amount;
+				curr = color::green;
+				break;
+			case 1:
+				r = color_min_amount;
+				g = color_max_amount;
+				b = rand()%(color_max_amount-color_min_amount) + color_min_amount;
+				curr = color::blue;
+				break;
+			case 2:
+				r = rand()%(color_max_amount-color_min_amount) + color_min_amount;
+				g = color_min_amount;
+				b = color_max_amount;
+				curr = color::red;
+				break;
+			};
+		}
 		constexpr color inc(void){
 			switch(curr){
 			default:
diff --git a/src/cmd.cpp b/src/cmd.cpp
index aaf4ec8..8de46cd 100644
--- a/src/cmd.cpp
+++ b/src/cmd.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <cstring> //strncmp
 #include <cwchar>
 #include <cstdio> //fwprintf, stderr
+#include <cstdlib> //atol
 
 cmd_args::cmd_args(void)noexcept:
 	number(0), ends(0), squeeze(0), tabs(0), nonprinting(0), usage(0), version(0){}
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ constexpr const char* U_IGNORED_LONG_OPTION =         NO_LONG_OPTION;
 constexpr const char NONPRINTING_LONG_OPTION[] =      "show-nonprinting";
 constexpr const char USAGE_LONG_OPTION[] =            "help";
 constexpr const char VERSION_LONG_OPTION[] =          "version";
+constexpr const char SEED_LONG_OPTION[] =             "seed=<i>";
 
 #define NO_SHORT_OPTION ""
 constexpr const char SHOW_ALL_SHORT_OPTION[] =        "A";
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ constexpr const char U_IGNORED_SHORT_OPTION[] =       "u";
 constexpr const char NONPRINTING_SHORT_OPTION[] =     "v";
 constexpr const char USAGE_SHORT_OPTION[] =           "h";
 constexpr const char* VERSION_SHORT_OPTION =          NO_SHORT_OPTION;
+constexpr const char SEED_SHORT_OPTION[] =            "S";
 
 #define NO_DESC nullptr
 constexpr const char EQUIV_DESC_BASE[] =              "equivalent to -";
@@ -103,12 +106,31 @@ constexpr const char U_IGNORED_DESC[] =               "(ignored)";
 constexpr const char NONPRINTING_DESC[] =             "should use ^ and M- notation, except for LFD and TAB (not supported as of now)";
 constexpr const char USAGE_DESC[] =                   "display this help and exit";
 constexpr const char VERSION_DESC[] =                 "output version information and exit";
+constexpr const char SEED_DESC[] =                    "Rainbow seed, 0 = random (default: 0)";
 
 #define SHORT_OPT(x) (x##_SHORT_OPTION)[0]
 #define OPTION(x) {x##_LONG_OPTION, SHORT_OPT(x), x##_DESC}
 
 
-#define CHECK_LONG_OPTION(x, arg) (!strncmp(x##_LONG_OPTION, arg, strlen(x##_LONG_OPTION)))
+constexpr bool is_integer(const char* s){
+	if(*s != '-' && (*s < '0' || *s > '9')){
+		return false;
+	}
+	for(s = s+1;*s;++s){
+		if(*s < '0' || *s > '9'){
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+constexpr size_t strlen_pre_eq(const char* str){
+	size_t i = 0;
+	for(;str[i] && str[i] != '=';++i);
+	return i;
+}
+
+#define CHECK_LONG_OPTION(x, arg) (!strncmp(x##_LONG_OPTION, arg, strlen_pre_eq(x##_LONG_OPTION)))
 #define IS_SHORT_OPTION(arg) ((arg)[0] == '-' && (arg)[1] != '-')
 #define IS_LONG_OPTION(arg) ((arg)[0] == '-' && (arg)[1] == '-')
 //Convert command line options to a cmd_args struct
@@ -124,6 +146,7 @@ cmd_args process_cmd_args(int argc, char** argv){
 			escaped = true;
 		}else if(IS_SHORT_OPTION(argv[i])){
 			size_t arg_len = strlen(argv[i]);
+			size_t next_arg = i+1;
 			for(size_t j = 1;j < arg_len;++j){
 				switch(argv[i][j]){
 				case SHORT_OPT(SHOW_ALL):
@@ -162,20 +185,28 @@ cmd_args process_cmd_args(int argc, char** argv){
 				case SHORT_OPT(VERSION):
 					ret.version = 1;
 					break;
+				case SHORT_OPT(SEED):
+					if(i == (argc-1) || !is_integer(argv[next_arg])){
+						fwprintf(stderr, L"'-%s' requires an integer argument\n", SEED_SHORT_OPTION);
+						ret.usage = 1;
+					}else{
+						ret.seed = atol(argv[next_arg]);
+					}
+					++next_arg;
+					break;
 				default:
 					//keep parsing after error so we can still properly output requested color style
 					ret.usage = 1;
 					fwprintf(stderr, L"Unrecognized option '-%c'\n", argv[i][j]);
 				};
 			}
+			i = next_arg-1;
 		}else if(IS_LONG_OPTION(argv[i])){
 			const char* arg = argv[i]+2;
 			if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(SHOW_ENDS, arg)){
 				ret.ends = 1;
 			}else if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(NUMBER_NONBLANK, arg)){
 				ret.number = PRINT_LINE_NONBLANK;
-			}else if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(SHOW_ENDS, arg)){
-				ret.ends = 1;
 			}else if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(NUMBER_LINES, arg)){
 				if(!ret.number)
 					ret.number = PRINT_LINE_ALWAYS;
@@ -189,6 +220,14 @@ cmd_args process_cmd_args(int argc, char** argv){
 				ret.usage = 1;
 			}else if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(VERSION, arg)){
 				ret.version = 1;
+			}else if(CHECK_LONG_OPTION(SEED, arg)){
+				constexpr size_t offset = strlen_pre_eq(SEED_LONG_OPTION);
+				if(arg[offset] != '=' || !is_integer(arg+offset+1)){
+					fwprintf(stderr, L"'--%.*s' requires an integer argument\n", offset, SEED_LONG_OPTION);
+					ret.usage = 1;
+				}else{
+					ret.seed = atol(arg+offset+1);
+				}
 			}else{
 				ret.usage = 1;
 				fwprintf(stderr, L"Unrecognized option '%s'\n", argv[i]);
@@ -214,6 +253,7 @@ const cmd_options cmd_arguments_list[] = {
 	OPTION(SHOW_TABS),
 	OPTION(U_IGNORED),
 	OPTION(NONPRINTING),
+	OPTION(SEED),
 	OPTION(USAGE),
 	OPTION(VERSION)
 };
diff --git a/src/roflcat.cpp b/src/roflcat.cpp
index 5041019..9126f6c 100644
--- a/src/roflcat.cpp
+++ b/src/roflcat.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h> //isatty
 #include <cstring> //strcmp
 #include <cstddef> //size_t
+#include <chrono> //std::chrono::*
+#include <cstdlib> //srand
 
 constexpr const char* version_string = "roflcat version 0.1a";
 
@@ -140,12 +142,19 @@ void print_files(cmd_args& args){
 	}
 	p.reset();
 }
+auto get_time(void){
+	auto time = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now();
+	auto eptime = time.time_since_epoch();
+	auto micros = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(eptime);
+	return micros.count();
+}
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv){
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, ""); //change to system locale so wchar_t things work
 	cmd_args args = process_cmd_args(argc, argv);
 	int avail_colors = detect_term_colors();
 
+	srand(args.seed ? args.seed : get_time());
 	//print_files<color_printer_true>(args);
 	//if stdout is not a tty, disable color
 	if(!isatty(fileno(stdout))){