diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index a6b77050ca9..8007b36915d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import os
 import pwd
 import sys
 import ConfigParser
+from string import ascii_letters, digits
 
 # copied from utils, avoid circular reference fun :)
 def mk_boolean(value):
@@ -148,6 +149,8 @@ ACCELERATE_TIMEOUT             = get_config(p, 'accelerate', 'accelerate_timeout
 ACCELERATE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT     = get_config(p, 'accelerate', 'accelerate_connect_timeout', 'ACCELERATE_CONNECT_TIMEOUT', 1.0, floating=True)
 PARAMIKO_PTY                   = get_config(p, 'paramiko_connection', 'pty', 'ANSIBLE_PARAMIKO_PTY', True, boolean=True)
 
+# characters included in auto-generated passwords
+DEFAULT_PASSWORD_CHARS = ascii_letters + digits + ".,:-_"
 
 # non-configurable things
 DEFAULT_SUDO_PASS         = None
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/password.py b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/password.py
index a09ca4071e8..a494b694f76 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/password.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner/lookup_plugins/password.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 from ansible import utils, errors
 import os
 import errno
-import random
 from string import ascii_letters, digits
 
 
@@ -33,10 +32,7 @@ class LookupModule(object):
 
     def random_salt(self):
         salt_chars = ascii_letters + digits + './'
-        salt = []
-        for _ in range(8):
-            salt.append(random.choice(salt_chars))
-        return ''.join(salt)
+        return utils.random_password(length=8, chars=salt_chars)
 
     def run(self, terms, inject=None, **kwargs):
 
@@ -76,7 +72,7 @@ class LookupModule(object):
                 if not os.path.isdir(pathdir):
                     os.makedirs(pathdir)
                 chars = ascii_letters + digits + ".,:-_"
-                password = ''.join(random.choice(chars) for _ in range(length))
+                password = utils.random_password(length)
                 if encrypt is not None:
                     salt = self.random_salt()
                     content = '%s salt=%s' % (password, salt)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
index 5da1322c724..c2a42ddc19f 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1006,4 +1006,13 @@ def combine_vars(a, b):
     else:
         return dict(a.items() + b.items())
 
+def random_password(length=20, chars=C.DEFAULT_PASSWORD_CHARS):
+    '''Return a random password string of length containing only chars.'''
 
+    password = []
+    while len(password) < length:
+        new_char = os.urandom(1)
+        if new_char in chars:
+            password.append(new_char)
+
+    return ''.join(password)
diff --git a/library/cloud/linode b/library/cloud/linode
index 8c71e55f651..b7d1aaa8c44 100644
--- a/library/cloud/linode
+++ b/library/cloud/linode
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ def randompass():
     # we play it safe :)
     import random
     import string
+    # as of python 2.4, this reseeds the PRNG from urandom
+    random.seed() 
     lower = ''.join(random.choice(string.ascii_lowercase) for x in range(6))
     upper = ''.join(random.choice(string.ascii_uppercase) for x in range(6))
     number = ''.join(random.choice(string.digits) for x in range(6))