diff --git a/mopidy/backends/__init__.py b/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
index 636f6aa1..27c58c9c 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/__init__.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class BasePlaybackController(object):
     def __init__(self, backend):
         self.backend = backend
         self.current_track = None
+        self._shuffled = []
 
     def play(self, id=None, position=None):
         raise NotImplementedError
@@ -147,6 +148,13 @@ class BasePlaybackController(object):
         if not playlist.tracks:
             return None
 
+        if self.random and not self._shuffled:
+            self._shuffled = playlist.tracks
+            random.shuffle(self._shuffled)
+
+        if self._shuffled:
+            return self._shuffled[0]
+
         if self.current_track is None:
             return playlist.tracks[0]
 
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py b/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
index 2a57a534..01316d97 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/gstreamer.py
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ class GStreamerPlaybackController(BasePlaybackController):
         if not self.current_track:
             return
 
+        if self.random:
+            self._shuffled.pop(0)
+
         self._bin.set_state(gst.STATE_READY)
         self._bin.set_property('uri', self.current_track.uri)
         self._set_state(gst.STATE_PLAYING)
diff --git a/tests/backends/basetests.py b/tests/backends/basetests.py
index cddc24f3..c7f5ed4c 100644
--- a/tests/backends/basetests.py
+++ b/tests/backends/basetests.py
@@ -700,12 +700,14 @@ class BasePlaybackControllerTest(object):
     @populate_playlist
     def test_play_with_random(self):
         random.seed(1)
+        self.playback.random = True
         self.playback.play()
         self.assertEqual(self.playback.current_track, self.tracks[2])
 
     @populate_playlist
     def test_next_with_random(self):
         random.seed(1)
+        self.playback.random = True
         self.playback.play()
         self.playback.next()
         self.assertEqual(self.playback.current_track, self.tracks[1])
@@ -713,6 +715,7 @@ class BasePlaybackControllerTest(object):
     @populate_playlist
     def test_previous_with_random(self):
         random.seed(1)
+        self.playback.random = True
         self.playback.play()
         self.playback.next()
         self.playback.previous()