diff --git a/torch_np/random.py b/torch_np/random.py
index 381f4d2e..c14a3e06 100644
--- a/torch_np/random.py
+++ b/torch_np/random.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import functools
 from math import sqrt
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -29,14 +30,36 @@
     "randint",
     "shuffle",
     "uniform",
+    "USE_NUMPY_RANDOM",
 ]
 
 
+USE_NUMPY_RANDOM = False
+
+
+def deco_stream(func):
+    @functools.wraps(func)
+    def inner(*args, **kwds):
+        if USE_NUMPY_RANDOM is False:
+            return func(*args, **kwds)
+        elif USE_NUMPY_RANDOM is True:
+            from numpy import random as nr
+
+            f = getattr(nr, func.__name__)
+            return f(*args, **kwds)
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"USE_NUMPY_RANDOM={USE_NUMPY_RANDOM} not understood.")
+
+    return inner
+
+
+@deco_stream
 def seed(seed=None):
     if seed is not None:
         torch.random.manual_seed(seed)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def random_sample(size=None):
     if size is None:
         size = ()
@@ -44,6 +67,7 @@ def random_sample(size=None):
     return array_or_scalar(values, return_scalar=size is None)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def rand(*size):
     return random_sample(size)
 
@@ -52,6 +76,7 @@ def rand(*size):
 random = random_sample
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def uniform(low=0.0, high=1.0, size=None):
     if size is None:
         size = ()
@@ -59,11 +84,13 @@ def uniform(low=0.0, high=1.0, size=None):
     return array_or_scalar(values, return_scalar=size is None)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def randn(*size):
     values = torch.randn(size, dtype=_default_dtype)
     return array_or_scalar(values, return_scalar=size is None)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def normal(loc=0.0, scale=1.0, size=None):
     if size is None:
         size = ()
@@ -71,6 +98,7 @@ def normal(loc=0.0, scale=1.0, size=None):
     return array_or_scalar(values, return_scalar=size is None)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 @normalizer
 def shuffle(x: ArrayLike):
     perm = torch.randperm(x.shape[0])
@@ -78,6 +106,7 @@ def shuffle(x: ArrayLike):
     x.copy_(xp)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 def randint(low, high=None, size=None):
     if size is None:
         size = ()
@@ -89,6 +118,7 @@ def randint(low, high=None, size=None):
     return array_or_scalar(values, int, return_scalar=size is None)
 
 
+@deco_stream
 @normalizer
 def choice(a: ArrayLike, size=None, replace=True, p: Optional[ArrayLike] = None):
 
diff --git a/torch_np/tests/test_random.py b/torch_np/tests/test_random.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2614f17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/torch_np/tests/test_random.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+"""Light smoke test switching between numpy to pytorch random streams.
+"""
+import pytest
+
+import torch_np as tnp
+from torch_np.testing import assert_equal
+
+
+def test_uniform():
+    r = tnp.random.uniform(0, 1, size=10)
+
+
+def test_shuffle():
+    x = tnp.arange(10)
+    tnp.random.shuffle(x)
+
+
+def test_numpy_global():
+    tnp.random.USE_NUMPY_RANDOM = True
+    tnp.random.seed(12345)
+    x = tnp.random.uniform(0, 1, size=11)
+
+    # check that the stream is identical to numpy's
+    import numpy as _np
+
+    _np.random.seed(12345)
+    x_np = _np.random.uniform(0, 1, size=11)
+
+    assert_equal(x, tnp.asarray(x_np))
+
+    # switch to the pytorch stream, variates differ
+    tnp.random.USE_NUMPY_RANDOM = False
+    tnp.random.seed(12345)
+
+    x_1 = tnp.random.uniform(0, 1, size=11)
+    assert not (x_1 == x).all()
+
+
+def test_wrong_global():
+    try:
+        oldstate = tnp.random.USE_NUMPY_RANDOM
+
+        tnp.random.USE_NUMPY_RANDOM = "oops"
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            tnp.random.rand()
+
+    finally:
+        tnp.random.USE_NUMPY_RANDOM = oldstate