diff --git a/src/core/random-variable.cc b/src/core/random-variable.cc
index 1b29fe312..f67f6eb29 100644
--- a/src/core/random-variable.cc
+++ b/src/core/random-variable.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>       
+#include <sstream>
 
 
 #include "assert.h"
@@ -249,6 +250,10 @@ RandomVariable::RandomVariable (const RandomVariableBase &variable)
 RandomVariable &
 RandomVariable::operator = (const RandomVariable &o)
 {
+  if (&o == this)
+    {
+      return *this;
+    }
   delete m_variable;
   m_variable = o.m_variable->Copy ();
   return *this;
@@ -290,10 +295,24 @@ RandomVariable::SetRunNumber(uint32_t n)
   RandomVariableBase::SetRunNumber (n);
 }
 RandomVariableBase *
-RandomVariable::Peek (void)
+RandomVariable::Peek (void) const
 {
   return m_variable;
 }
+RandomVariable::RandomVariable (PValue value)
+{
+  const RandomVariableValue *v = value.DynCast<const RandomVariableValue *> ();
+  if (v == 0)
+    {
+      NS_FATAL_ERROR ("assigning non-RandomVariable value to RandomVariable value.");
+    }
+  m_variable = v->Get ().m_variable->Copy ();
+
+}
+RandomVariable::operator PValue () const
+{
+  return PValue::Create<RandomVariableValue> (*this);
+}
 
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -316,6 +335,9 @@ public:
   UniformVariableImpl(double s, double l);
 
   UniformVariableImpl(const UniformVariableImpl& c);
+
+  double GetMin (void) const;
+  double GetMax (void) const;
   
   /**
    * \return A value between low and high values specified by the constructor
@@ -344,6 +366,18 @@ UniformVariableImpl::UniformVariableImpl(double s, double l)
 UniformVariableImpl::UniformVariableImpl(const UniformVariableImpl& c) 
   : RandomVariableBase(c), m_min(c.m_min), m_max(c.m_max) { }
 
+double 
+UniformVariableImpl::GetMin (void) const
+{
+  return m_min;
+}
+double 
+UniformVariableImpl::GetMax (void) const
+{
+  return m_max;
+}
+
+
 double UniformVariableImpl::GetValue()
 {
   if(!RandomVariableBase::initialized)
@@ -1563,6 +1597,78 @@ TriangularVariable::GetSingleValue(double s, double l, double mean)
 }
 
 
+RandomVariableValue::RandomVariableValue (RandomVariable variable)
+  : m_variable (variable)
+{}
+void 
+RandomVariableValue::Set (RandomVariable variable)
+{
+  m_variable = variable;
+}
+RandomVariable 
+RandomVariableValue::Get (void) const
+{
+  return m_variable;
+}
+
+PValue 
+RandomVariableValue::Copy (void) const
+{
+  return PValue::Create<RandomVariableValue> (m_variable);
+}
+std::string 
+RandomVariableValue::SerializeToString (Ptr<const ParamSpec> spec) const
+{
+  std::ostringstream oss;
+  RandomVariableBase *base = m_variable.Peek ();
+  ConstantVariableImpl *constant = dynamic_cast<ConstantVariableImpl *> (base);
+  if (constant != 0)
+    {
+      oss << "Constant:" << constant->GetValue ();
+      return oss.str ();
+    }
+  UniformVariableImpl *uniform = dynamic_cast<UniformVariableImpl *> (base);
+  if (uniform != 0)
+    {
+      oss << "Uniform:" << uniform->GetMin () << ":" << uniform->GetMax ();
+      return oss.str ();
+    }
+  // XXX: support other distributions
+  return "";
+}
+bool 
+RandomVariableValue::DeserializeFromString (std::string value, Ptr<const ParamSpec> spec)
+{
+  std::string::size_type tmp;
+  tmp = value.find (":");
+  if (tmp == std::string::npos)
+    {
+      return false;
+    }
+  std::string type = value.substr (0, tmp);
+  if (value == "Constant")
+    {
+      // XXX
+      return true;
+    }
+  else if (value == "Uniform")
+    {
+      // XXX
+      return true;
+    }
+  // XXX: support other distributions.
+  return false;
+}
+RandomVariableValue::RandomVariableValue (PValue value)
+  : m_variable (value)
+{}
+RandomVariableValue::operator PValue () const
+{
+  return m_variable;
+}
+
+
+
 
 }//namespace ns3
 
diff --git a/src/core/random-variable.h b/src/core/random-variable.h
index dd0280745..370ff9e79 100644
--- a/src/core/random-variable.h
+++ b/src/core/random-variable.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include "value.h"
 
 /**
  * \ingroup core
@@ -158,11 +159,17 @@ public:
    * \endcode
    */
   static void SetRunNumber(uint32_t n);
+
+
+  RandomVariable (PValue value);
+  operator PValue () const;
+
 private:
+  friend class RandomVariableValue;
   RandomVariableBase *m_variable;
 protected:
   RandomVariable (const RandomVariableBase &variable);
-  RandomVariableBase *Peek (void);
+  RandomVariableBase *Peek (void) const;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -648,5 +655,39 @@ public:
   static double GetSingleValue(double s, double l, double mean);
 };
 
+
+class RandomVariableValue : public Value
+{
+public:
+  RandomVariableValue (RandomVariable variable);
+  void Set (RandomVariable variable);
+  RandomVariable Get (void) const;
+
+  virtual PValue Copy (void) const;
+  virtual std::string SerializeToString (Ptr<const ParamSpec> spec) const;
+  virtual bool DeserializeFromString (std::string value, Ptr<const ParamSpec> spec);
+
+  RandomVariableValue (PValue value);
+  operator PValue () const;
+private:
+  RandomVariable m_variable;
+};
+
+template <typename T>
+Ptr<ParamSpec> MakeRandomVariableParamSpec (RandomVariable T::*m_memberVariable,
+                                            RandomVariable initialValue);
+
 }//namespace ns3
+
+
+namespace ns3 {
+
+template <typename T>
+Ptr<ParamSpec> MakeRandomVariableParamSpec (RandomVariable T::*memberVariable,
+                                            RandomVariable initialValue)
+{
+  return MakeMemberVariableParamSpec (memberVariable, RandomVariableValue (initialValue));
+}
+
+} // namespace ns3
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/value-test.cc b/src/core/value-test.cc
index c7d8fe24d..dc31c45b1 100644
--- a/src/core/value-test.cc
+++ b/src/core/value-test.cc
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "int-value.h"
 #include "uint-value.h"
 #include "enum-value.h"
+#include "random-variable.h"
 #if 0
 #include "fp-value.h"
 #endif
@@ -66,6 +67,9 @@ public:
 					TEST_A, "TestA",
 					TEST_B, "TestB",
 					TEST_C, "TestC"))
+      .AddParameter ("TestRandom", "help text",
+		     MakeRandomVariableParamSpec (&ParamSpecObjectTest::m_random,
+						  ConstantVariable (1.0)))
 #if 0
       .AddParameter ("TestFloat", "help text",
 		     MakeFpParamSpec (-1.1, &ParamSpecObjectTest::m_float))
@@ -97,6 +101,7 @@ private:
   uint8_t m_uint8;
   float m_float;
   enum TestEnum m_enum;
+  RandomVariable m_random;
 };
 
 
@@ -265,6 +270,11 @@ ParamSpecTest::RunTests (void)
   CHECK_GET_STR (p, "TestEnum", "TestB");
   CHECK_GET_PARAM (p, "TestEnum", EnumValue, ParamSpecObjectTest::TEST_B);
 
+  RandomVariable ran = p->Get ("TestRandom");
+  NS_TEST_ASSERT (p->Set ("TestRandom", UniformVariable (0.0, 1.0)));
+  NS_TEST_ASSERT (p->Set ("TestRandom", ConstantVariable (10.0)));
+  
+
 #if 0
   p->Set ("TestBoolName", "true");
   NS_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL (p->Get ("TestBoolName"), "true");