diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1efe006f5d..8b270df5a7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 1998-09-10  Ulrich Drepper  <drepper@cygnus.com>
 
+	* stdlib/random_r.c (__setstate_r): Allow call with same state
+	array as currently used (PR libc/774).
+
 	* include/limits.h: Include gcc's header even if this file is
 	found more than once before it (PR libc/778)
 
diff --git a/stdlib/random_r.c b/stdlib/random_r.c
index 918bd690f5..445bc95d35 100644
--- a/stdlib/random_r.c
+++ b/stdlib/random_r.c
@@ -268,13 +268,13 @@ __setstate_r (arg_state, buf)
      struct random_data *buf;
 {
   int32_t *new_state = (int32_t *) arg_state;
-  int type = new_state[0] % MAX_TYPES;
+  int type;
   int old_type;
   int32_t *old_state;
   int degree;
   int separation;
 
-  if (buf == NULL || type < TYPE_0 || type >= TYPE_4)
+  if (buf == NULL)
     goto fail;
 
   old_type = buf->rand_type;
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ __setstate_r (arg_state, buf)
   else
     old_state[-1] = (MAX_TYPES * (buf->rptr - old_state)) + old_type;
 
+  type = new_state[0] % MAX_TYPES;
+  if (type < TYPE_0 || type >= TYPE_4)
+    goto fail;
+
   buf->rand_deg = degree = random_poly_info.degrees[type];
   buf->rand_sep = separation = random_poly_info.seps[type];
   buf->rand_type = type;