diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 2c0fcf309..e581a8f29 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ For full details, see the git log at: https://github.com/ksh93/ksh/tree/1.0
 
 Any uppercase BUG_* names are modernish shell bug IDs.
 
+2022-07-21:
+
+- Fixed a bug where a reproducible $RANDOM sequence (after assigning a
+  specific value to $RANDOM) was influenced by running any external command.
+
 2022-07-14:
 
 - Fixed a bug that caused a spurious "Done" message on the interactive shell
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/variables.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/variables.h
index 6de9725b3..e570d734e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/variables.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/variables.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ struct rand
 extern void sh_reseed_rand(struct rand *);
 extern void sh_save_rand_seed(struct rand *, int);
 
+#define RAND_SEED_INVALIDATED		-2
+#define sh_invalidate_rand_seed()	(((struct rand*)RANDNOD->nvfun)->rand_last = RAND_SEED_INVALIDATED)
+
 /* update ${.sh.level} and, if needed, restore the current scope */
 #define update_sh_level() \
 ( \
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
index 20d4fae9a..abb3dbdcc 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 #define SH_RELEASE_FORK	"93u+m"		/* only change if you develop a new ksh93 fork */
 #define SH_RELEASE_SVER	"1.0.0-beta.2"	/* semantic version number: https://semver.org */
-#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2022-07-14"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
+#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2022-07-21"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
 #define SH_RELEASE_CPYR	"(c) 2020-2022 Contributors to ksh " SH_RELEASE_FORK
 
 /* Scripts sometimes field-split ${.sh.version}, so don't change amount of whitespace. */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/init.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/init.c
index fcbec5b57..227caaa73 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/init.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/init.c
@@ -1914,7 +1914,7 @@ static Init_t *nv_init(void)
 	nv_putval(SECONDS, (char*)&d, NV_DOUBLE);
 	nv_stack(RANDNOD, &ip->RAND_init.hdr);
 	nv_putval(RANDNOD, (char*)&d, NV_DOUBLE);
-	sh_reseed_rand((struct rand *)RANDNOD->nvfun);
+	sh_invalidate_rand_seed();
 	nv_stack(LINENO, &ip->LINENO_init);
 	SH_MATCHNOD->nvfun =  &ip->SH_MATCH_init.hdr;
 	nv_putsub(SH_MATCHNOD,(char*)0,10);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/subshell.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/subshell.c
index ff38d12ab..9590b46b2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/subshell.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/subshell.c
@@ -187,16 +187,12 @@ void sh_subfork(void)
 	{
 		/* this is the child part of the fork */
 		/*
-		 * $RANDOM is only reseeded when it's used in a subshell, so if $RANDOM hasn't
-		 * been reseeded yet set rp->rand_last to -2. This allows sh_save_rand_seed()
+		 * In a virtual subshell, $RANDOM is not reseeded until it's used, so if that
+		 * hasn't happened yet, invalidate the seed. This allows sh_save_rand_seed()
 		 * to reseed $RANDOM later.
 		 */
 		if(!sp->rand_state)
-		{
-			struct rand *rp;
-			rp = (struct rand*)RANDNOD->nvfun;
-			rp->rand_last = -2;
-		}
+			sh_invalidate_rand_seed();
 		subshell_data = 0;
 		sh.subshell = 0;
 		sh.comsub = 0;
@@ -249,7 +245,7 @@ void sh_save_rand_seed(struct rand *rp, int reseed)
 		if(reseed)
 			sh_reseed_rand(rp);
 	}
-	else if(reseed && rp->rand_last == -2)
+	else if(reseed && rp->rand_last == RAND_SEED_INVALIDATED)
 		sh_reseed_rand(rp);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
index ee19ab87e..37f138fac 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh/xec.c
@@ -1500,7 +1500,6 @@ int sh_exec(register const Shnode_t *t, int flags)
 					}
 				}
 #endif /* SHOPT_BGX */
-				nv_getval(RANDNOD);
 				if(type&FCOOP)
 				{
 					pipes[2] = 0;
@@ -1595,6 +1594,7 @@ int sh_exec(register const Shnode_t *t, int flags)
 					sh.fifo_tree = NIL(Dt_t*);
 				}
 #endif
+				sh_invalidate_rand_seed();
 				if(no_fork)
 					sh_sigreset(2);
 				sh_pushcontext(buffp,SH_JMPEXIT);
@@ -1825,7 +1825,7 @@ int sh_exec(register const Shnode_t *t, int flags)
 					sh.st.otrapcom = (char**)savsig;
 				}
 				/* Still act like a subshell: reseed $RANDOM and increment ${.sh.subshell} */
-				sh_reseed_rand((struct rand*)RANDNOD->nvfun);
+				sh_invalidate_rand_seed();
 				sh.realsubshell++;
 				sh_sigreset(0);
 				sh_pushcontext(buffp,SH_JMPEXIT);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
index 1c72af658..21005b752 100755
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/tests/variables.sh
@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ got=$(RANDOM=789; ulimit -t unlimited 2> /dev/null; echo $RANDOM)
 	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"), got $(printf %q "$got"))"
 unset N i rand1 rand2
 
+# Running an external command or background job should not influence the sequence
+exp=$(RANDOM=1; print $RANDOM; print $RANDOM)
+got=$(RANDOM=1; print $RANDOM; /dev/null/x 2>/dev/null; print $RANDOM)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "External command influences reproducible $RANDOM sequence" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"), got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+got=$(RANDOM=1; print $RANDOM; :& print $RANDOM)
+[[ $got == "$exp" ]] || err_exit "Background job influences reproducible $RANDOM sequence" \
+	"(expected $(printf %q "$exp"), got $(printf %q "$got"))"
+
 # SECONDS
 float secElapsed=0.0 secSleep=0.001
 let SECONDS=$secElapsed