diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/testrunner.cc b/pdns/dnsdistdist/testrunner.cc
index 66b82aaf6963..dfa7a34e03b3 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/testrunner.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/testrunner.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
  * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  */
+
+#define BOOST_TEST_NO_MAIN
+
 #ifndef BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
 #define BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
 #endif
@@ -31,4 +34,10 @@
 #endif
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
+// entry point:
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+  setenv("BOOST_TEST_RANDOM", "1", 1); // NOLINT(concurrency-mt-unsafe)
+  return boost::unit_test::unit_test_main(&init_unit_test, argc, argv);
+}
 
diff --git a/pdns/testrunner.cc b/pdns/testrunner.cc
index ef4f16a014e7..e4838514b52e 100644
--- a/pdns/testrunner.cc
+++ b/pdns/testrunner.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ static bool init_unit_test()
 // entry point:
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
+  setenv("BOOST_TEST_RANDOM", "1", 1); // NOLINT(concurrency-mt-unsafe)
   S.d_allowRedeclare = true;
   return boost::unit_test::unit_test_main(&init_unit_test, argc, argv);
 }