diff --git a/src/probabilistic/Hasher.cc b/src/probabilistic/Hasher.cc
index 835cb7e5d7..cfe5f3244b 100644
--- a/src/probabilistic/Hasher.cc
+++ b/src/probabilistic/Hasher.cc
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ DefaultHasher::DefaultHasher(size_t k, Hasher::seed_t seed)
 	for ( size_t i = 1; i <= k; ++i )
 		{
 		seed_t s = Seed();
-		s.h[0] += bro_prng(i);
+		s.h[0] += zeek::prng(i);
 		hash_functions.push_back(UHF(s));
 		}
 	}
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ bool DefaultHasher::Equals(const Hasher* other) const
 	}
 
 DoubleHasher::DoubleHasher(size_t k, seed_t seed)
-	: Hasher(k, seed), h1(seed + bro_prng(1)), h2(seed + bro_prng(2))
+	: Hasher(k, seed), h1(seed + zeek::prng(1)), h2(seed + zeek::prng(2))
 	{
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index 6660446857..ace3638e59 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ static bool write_random_seeds(const char* write_file, uint32_t seed,
 	}
 
 static bool bro_rand_determistic = false;
-static unsigned int bro_rand_state = 0;
+static long int bro_rand_state = 0;
 static bool first_seed_saved = false;
 static unsigned int first_seed = 0;
 
@@ -1183,10 +1183,12 @@ bool have_random_seed()
 	return bro_rand_determistic;
 	}
 
-unsigned int bro_prng(unsigned int  state)
+long int zeek::prng(long int state)
 	{
 	// Use our own simple linear congruence PRNG to make sure we are
 	// predictable across platforms.  (Lehmer RNG, Schrage's method)
+	// Note: the choice of "long int" storage type for the state is mostly
+	// for parity with the possible return values of random().
 	constexpr uint32_t m = 2147483647;
 	constexpr uint32_t a = 16807;
 	constexpr uint32_t q = m / a;
@@ -1204,12 +1206,17 @@ unsigned int bro_prng(unsigned int  state)
 	return res;
 	}
 
+unsigned int bro_prng(unsigned int  state)
+	{
+	return zeek::prng(state);
+	}
+
 long int bro_random()
 	{
 	if ( ! bro_rand_determistic )
 		return random(); // Use system PRNG.
 
-	bro_rand_state = bro_prng(bro_rand_state);
+	bro_rand_state = zeek::prng(bro_rand_state);
 
 	return bro_rand_state;
 	}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 3bfee23e6e..b29a80d64b 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ extern bool have_random_seed();
 
 // A simple linear congruence PRNG. It takes its state as argument and
 // returns a new random value, which can serve as state for subsequent calls.
+[[deprecated("Remove in v4.1.  Use zeek::prng()")]]
 unsigned int bro_prng(unsigned int state);
 
 // Replacement for the system random(), to which is normally falls back
@@ -588,4 +589,14 @@ namespace zeek {
  */
 void set_thread_name(const char* name, pthread_t tid = pthread_self());
 
+/**
+ * A platform-independent PRNG implementation.  Note that this is not
+ * necessarily a "statistically sound" implementation as the main purpose is
+ * not for production use, but rather for regression testing.
+ * @param state  The value used to generate the next random number.
+ * @return  A new random value generated from *state* and that can passed
+ * back into subsequent calls to generate further random numbers.
+ */
+long int prng(long int state);
+
 } // namespace zeek