diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/Makefile b/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
index aa91aeed7c7d4a259882d22d4d2f8ef978f614c5..d9ed78e449cb46d8dfc440abac17de52ec3087e2 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ ifneq (,$(filter lpc2387,$(USEMODULE)))
   SRC += sc_heap.c
 endif
 ifneq (,$(filter random,$(USEMODULE)))
-  SRC += sc_mersenne.c
+  SRC += sc_random.c
 endif
 ifeq ($(CPU),x86)
   SRC += sc_x86_lspci.c
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c b/sys/shell/commands/sc_random.c
similarity index 89%
rename from sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c
rename to sys/shell/commands/sc_random.c
index 73c96cba6be64e277dfdf1eb7a889d7cb1c524fb..a15b4421ced74d3ed6b71709757c326bb06c90fa 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/sc_mersenne.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/sc_random.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * @{
  *
  * @file
- * @brief       Shell commands for mersenne twister
+ * @brief       Shell commands for random generators
  *
  * @author      Christian Mehlis <mehlis@inf.fu-berlin.de>
  * @author      Kaspar Schleiser <kaspar@schleiser.de>
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "random.h"
 
-int _mersenne_init(int argc, char **argv)
+int _random_init(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     int initval;
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ int _mersenne_init(int argc, char **argv)
     return 0;
 }
 
-int _mersenne_get(int argc, char **argv)
+int _random_get(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     (void) argc;
     (void) argv;
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
index 05d908a6281b36e3f911667d1c645a6fb98b56d7..ba8efa334dead1fbcd326744c19093b3aad9a2ea 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ extern int _icmpv6_ping(int argc, char **argv);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MODULE_RANDOM
-extern int _mersenne_init(int argc, char **argv);
-extern int _mersenne_get(int argc, char **argv);
+extern int _random_init(int argc, char **argv);
+extern int _random_get(int argc, char **argv);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC_NETIF
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ const shell_command_t _shell_command_list[] = {
 #endif
 #endif
 #ifdef MODULE_RANDOM
-    { "mersenne_init", "initializes the PRNG", _mersenne_init },
-    { "mersenne_get", "returns 32 bit of pseudo randomness", _mersenne_get },
+    { "random_init", "initializes the PRNG", _random_init },
+    { "random_get", "returns 32 bit of pseudo randomness", _random_get },
 #endif
 #if FEATURE_PERIPH_RTC
     {"rtc", "control RTC peripheral interface",  _rtc_handler},