diff --git a/Lib/random.py b/Lib/random.py
index 76dc416..7932ac7 100644
--- a/Lib/random.py
+++ b/Lib/random.py
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@
         If a is not None or an int or long, hash(a) is used instead.
         """
 
+        if a is None:
+            import time
+            a = long(time.time() * 256) # use fractional seconds
         super(Random, self).seed(a)
         self.gauss_next = None
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_random.py b/Lib/test/test_random.py
index ea2243d..c9103e8 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_random.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_random.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     def test_autoseed(self):
         self.gen.seed()
         state1 = self.gen.getstate()
-        time.sleep(1.1)
+        time.sleep(0.1)
         self.gen.seed()      # diffent seeds at different times
         state2 = self.gen.getstate()
         self.assertNotEqual(state1, state2)