diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb b/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
index ae8ba22cfe..798219bf2a 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/configuration.rb
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ def self.add_setting(name, opts={})
       add_setting :expecting_with_rspec
       add_setting :default_path, :default => 'spec'
       add_setting :show_failures_in_pending_blocks, :default => false
-      add_setting :randomize, :default => false
-      add_setting :seed, :default => srand % 0xFFFF
+      add_setting :order
 
       CONDITIONAL_FILTERS = {
         :if     => lambda { |value, metadata| metadata.has_key?(:if) && !value },
@@ -60,12 +59,15 @@ def self.add_setting(name, opts={})
         /lib\/rspec\/(core|expectations|matchers|mocks)/
       ]
 
+      attr_accessor :seed
+
       def initialize
         @color_enabled = false
         self.include_or_extend_modules = []
         self.files_to_run = []
         self.backtrace_clean_patterns = DEFAULT_BACKTRACE_PATTERNS.dup
         self.exclusion_filter = CONDITIONAL_FILTERS.dup
+        self.seed = srand % 0xFFFF
       end
 
       def reset
@@ -466,6 +468,16 @@ def seed_to_report
         randomize? ? seed : nil
       end
 
+      def randomize?
+        order ? !!order.match(/rand/) : false
+      end
+
+      def orderby=(type)
+        order, seed = type.to_s.split(':')
+        self.order = order
+        self.seed = seed.to_i if seed
+      end
+
     private
 
       def assert_no_example_groups_defined(config_option)
diff --git a/lib/rspec/core/option_parser.rb b/lib/rspec/core/option_parser.rb
index 9f6dee73cf..8e6e53ab74 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/core/option_parser.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/core/option_parser.rb
@@ -80,14 +80,12 @@ def parser(options)
         parser.on('-O', '--options PATH', 'Specify the path to an options file') do |path|
           options[:custom_options_file] = path
         end
-
-        parser.on('-s', '--seed SEED', Integer, 'Sets the seed for randomization') do |seed|
-          options[:seed] = seed.to_i
-          options[:randomize] = true
-        end
         
-        parser.on('--rand', '--randomize', 'Run examples in a random order') do
-          options[:randomize] = true
+        parser.on('--order TYPE', 'Run examples by the specified order type',
+                  '[rand] randomized',
+                  '[random] alias for rand',
+                  'append ":SEED" to specify a seed. Example: --order random:123') do |o|
+          options[:orderby] = o
         end
 
         parser.on('-p', '--profile', 'Enable profiling of examples with output of the top 10 slowest examples') do |o|
diff --git a/spec/command_line/randomize_spec.rb b/spec/command_line/order_spec.rb
similarity index 93%
rename from spec/command_line/randomize_spec.rb
rename to spec/command_line/order_spec.rb
index 6fecdeda39..42d77a0c1e 100644
--- a/spec/command_line/randomize_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/command_line/order_spec.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 describe 'command line', :ui do
   before :all do
-    write_file 'spec/randomize_spec.rb', """
+    write_file 'spec/order_spec.rb', """
       describe 'group 1' do
         specify('group 1 example 1')  {}
         specify('group 1 example 2')  {}
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@
     """
   end
 
-  describe '--randomize' do
+  describe '--order rand' do
     it 'runs the examples and groups in a different order each time' do
-      2.times { run_command 'rspec spec/randomize_spec.rb --randomize -f doc' }
+      2.times { run_command 'rspec spec/order_spec.rb --order rand -f doc' }
 
       top_level_groups      {|first_run, second_run| first_run.should_not eq(second_run)}
       nested_groups         {|first_run, second_run| first_run.should_not eq(second_run)}
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@
     end
   end
 
-  describe '--seed' do
+  describe '--order rand:SEED' do
     it 'runs the examples and groups in the same order each time' do
-      2.times { run_command 'rspec spec/randomize_spec.rb --seed 123 -f doc' }
+      2.times { run_command 'rspec spec/order_spec.rb --order rand:123 -f doc' }
 
       top_level_groups      {|first_run, second_run| first_run.should eq(second_run)}
       nested_groups         {|first_run, second_run| first_run.should eq(second_run)}