diff --git a/nmap.cc b/nmap.cc
index bbc2fb0a7..de3732387 100644
--- a/nmap.cc
+++ b/nmap.cc
@@ -2094,7 +2094,7 @@ int nmap_main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   if (o.ping_group_sz < o.minHostGroupSz())
     o.ping_group_sz = o.minHostGroupSz();
   HostGroupState hstate(o.ping_group_sz, o.randomize_hosts,
-      o.generate_random_ips ? o.max_ips_to_scan : 0, argc, (const char **) argv);
+      o.generate_random_ips, o.max_ips_to_scan, argc, (const char **) argv);
 
   do {
     ideal_scan_group_sz = determineScanGroupSize(o.numhosts_scanned, &ports);
diff --git a/targets.cc b/targets.cc
index e95462125..119deca59 100644
--- a/targets.cc
+++ b/targets.cc
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ bool target_needs_new_hostgroup(Target **targets, int targets_sz, const Target *
    The target_expressions array MUST REMAIN VALID IN MEMORY as long as
    this class instance is used -- the array is NOT copied.
  */
-HostGroupState::HostGroupState(int lookahead, int rnd, unsigned long num_random, int argc, const char **argv) {
+HostGroupState::HostGroupState(int lookahead, int rnd, bool gen_rand, unsigned long num_random, int argc, const char **argv) {
   assert(lookahead > 0);
   this->argc = argc;
   this->argv = argv;
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ HostGroupState::HostGroupState(int lookahead, int rnd, unsigned long num_random,
   current_batch_sz = 0;
   next_batch_no = 0;
   randomize = rnd;
-  if (num_random >= 0) {
+  if (gen_rand) {
     current_group.generate_random_ips(num_random);
   }
 }
diff --git a/targets.h b/targets.h
index 628c10a9c..63a6c473a 100644
--- a/targets.h
+++ b/targets.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public:
   /* The maximum number of entries we want to allow storing in defer_buffer. */
   static const unsigned int DEFER_LIMIT = 64;
 
-  HostGroupState(int lookahead, int randomize, unsigned long num_random, int argc, const char *argv[]);
+  HostGroupState(int lookahead, int randomize, bool gen_rand, unsigned long num_random, int argc, const char *argv[]);
   ~HostGroupState();
   Target **hostbatch;