diff --git a/Lib/test/test_random.py b/Lib/test/test_random.py
index 437a20f32de..49a3f7bb00f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_random.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_random.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from math import log, exp, pi, fsum, sin
 from test import support
 
-class TestBasicOps(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBasicOps:
     # Superclass with tests common to all generators.
     # Subclasses must arrange for self.gen to retrieve the Random instance
     # to be tested.
@@ -188,7 +188,15 @@ def test_bug_9025(self):
         k = sum(randrange(6755399441055744) % 3 == 2 for i in range(n))
         self.assertTrue(0.30 < k/n < .37, (k/n))
 
-class SystemRandom_TestBasicOps(TestBasicOps):
+try:
+    random.SystemRandom().random()
+except NotImplementedError:
+    SystemRandom_available = False
+else:
+    SystemRandom_available = True
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(SystemRandom_available, "random.SystemRandom not available")
+class SystemRandom_TestBasicOps(TestBasicOps, unittest.TestCase):
     gen = random.SystemRandom()
 
     def test_autoseed(self):
@@ -304,7 +312,7 @@ def test_randbelow_logic(self, _log=log, int=int):
             self.assertTrue(2**k > n > 2**(k-1))   # note the stronger assertion
 
 
-class MersenneTwister_TestBasicOps(TestBasicOps):
+class MersenneTwister_TestBasicOps(TestBasicOps, unittest.TestCase):
     gen = random.Random()
 
     def test_guaranteed_stable(self):
@@ -749,28 +757,5 @@ def __init__(self, newarg=None):
         Subclass(newarg=1)
 
 
-def test_main(verbose=None):
-    testclasses =    [MersenneTwister_TestBasicOps,
-                      TestDistributions,
-                      TestModule]
-
-    try:
-        random.SystemRandom().random()
-    except NotImplementedError:
-        pass
-    else:
-        testclasses.append(SystemRandom_TestBasicOps)
-
-    support.run_unittest(*testclasses)
-
-    # verify reference counting
-    import sys
-    if verbose and hasattr(sys, "gettotalrefcount"):
-        counts = [None] * 5
-        for i in range(len(counts)):
-            support.run_unittest(*testclasses)
-            counts[i] = sys.gettotalrefcount()
-        print(counts)
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    test_main(verbose=True)
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index b59a3257804..f7b50cd4ce6 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ Tests
 - Issue #12820: add tests for the xml.dom.minicompat module.
   Patch by John Chandler and Phil Connell.
 
+- Issue #17789: test_random now works with unittest test discovery.
+  Patch by Zachary Ware.
+
 - Issue #17779: test_osx_env now works with unittest test discovery.
   Patch by Zachary Ware.