diff --git a/doc/modules/changes/20170609_gassmoeller b/doc/modules/changes/20170609_gassmoeller
index 2de3a394cd4..0732c8ceb67 100644
--- a/doc/modules/changes/20170609_gassmoeller
+++ b/doc/modules/changes/20170609_gassmoeller
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 New: A new initial temperature condition was added that adds a random
 noise of user prescribed magnitude to the initial temperature field.
+The same type of plugin was added for initial compositions.
 <br>
 (Rene Gassmoeller, 2017/06/19)
diff --git a/include/aspect/initial_composition/random_perturbation.h b/include/aspect/initial_composition/random_perturbation.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..49dbca0f644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/aspect/initial_composition/random_perturbation.h
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+  Copyright (C) 2017 by the authors of the ASPECT code.
+
+  This file is part of ASPECT.
+
+  ASPECT is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+  any later version.
+
+  ASPECT is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with ASPECT; see the file doc/COPYING.  If not see
+  <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+
+#ifndef _aspect_initial_composition_random_perturbation_h
+#define _aspect_initial_composition_random_perturbation_h
+
+#include <aspect/initial_composition/interface.h>
+
+DEAL_II_DISABLE_EXTRA_DIAGNOSTICS
+#include <boost/random.hpp>
+DEAL_II_ENABLE_EXTRA_DIAGNOSTICS
+
+namespace aspect
+{
+  namespace InitialComposition
+  {
+    using namespace dealii;
+
+    /**
+     * A class that describes a perturbation for the initial composition fields
+     * for any geometry model or dimension. The perturbation follows
+     * a random noise of a prescribed magnitude.
+     *
+     * @ingroup InitialCompositions
+     */
+    template <int dim>
+    class RandomPerturbation : public Interface<dim>
+    {
+      public:
+        /**
+         * Constructor.
+         */
+        RandomPerturbation();
+
+        /**
+         * Return the initial temperature as a function of position.
+         */
+        virtual
+        double initial_composition (const Point<dim> &position,
+                                    const unsigned int compositional_index) const;
+
+        /**
+         * Declare the parameters this class takes through input files.
+         */
+        static
+        void
+        declare_parameters (ParameterHandler &prm);
+
+        /**
+         * Read the parameters this class declares from the parameter file.
+         */
+        virtual
+        void
+        parse_parameters (ParameterHandler &prm);
+
+
+      private:
+        /**
+         * The maximal magnitude of the random noise.
+         */
+        double magnitude;
+
+        /**
+         * Random number generator.
+         */
+        mutable boost::mt19937 random_number_generator;
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/aspect/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.h b/include/aspect/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.h
index 0b88c4b0c8e..28602a7f78d 100644
--- a/include/aspect/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.h
+++ b/include/aspect/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ namespace aspect
 
     /**
      * A class that describes a perturbation for the initial temperature field
-     * for any geometry model or dimension in shape. The perturbation follows
+     * for any geometry model or dimension. The perturbation follows
      * a random noise of a prescribed magnitude.
      *
      * @ingroup InitialTemperatures
diff --git a/source/initial_composition/random_perturbation.cc b/source/initial_composition/random_perturbation.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..18c6dda6e82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/initial_composition/random_perturbation.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/*
+  Copyright (C) 2017 by the authors of the ASPECT code.
+
+  This file is part of ASPECT.
+
+  ASPECT is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+  any later version.
+
+  ASPECT is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with ASPECT; see the file doc/COPYING.  If not see
+  <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+
+#include <aspect/initial_composition/random_perturbation.h>
+
+namespace aspect
+{
+  namespace InitialComposition
+  {
+    template <int dim>
+    RandomPerturbation<dim>::
+    RandomPerturbation ()
+      :
+      random_number_generator(5432)
+    {
+    }
+
+    template <int dim>
+    double
+    RandomPerturbation<dim>::
+    initial_composition (const Point<dim> &/*position*/,
+                         const unsigned int /*compositional_index*/) const
+    {
+      // Uniform distribution on the interval [0,1]. This
+      // will be used to generate the random composition perturbation.
+      boost::uniform_01<double> uniform_distribution_01;
+
+      return magnitude * 2.0 * (uniform_distribution_01(random_number_generator) - 0.5);
+    }
+
+    template <int dim>
+    void
+    RandomPerturbation<dim>::declare_parameters (ParameterHandler &prm)
+    {
+      prm.enter_subsection ("Initial composition model");
+      {
+        prm.enter_subsection("Random perturbation");
+        {
+          prm.declare_entry ("Magnitude", "1.0",
+                             Patterns::Double (0),
+                             "The magnitude of the random perturbation.");
+        }
+        prm.leave_subsection ();
+      }
+      prm.leave_subsection ();
+    }
+
+
+    template <int dim>
+    void
+    RandomPerturbation<dim>::parse_parameters (ParameterHandler &prm)
+    {
+      prm.enter_subsection ("Initial composition model");
+      {
+        prm.enter_subsection("Random perturbation");
+        {
+          magnitude = prm.get_double ("Magnitude");
+        }
+        prm.leave_subsection ();
+      }
+      prm.leave_subsection ();
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// explicit instantiations
+namespace aspect
+{
+  namespace InitialComposition
+  {
+    ASPECT_REGISTER_INITIAL_COMPOSITION_MODEL(RandomPerturbation,
+                                              "random perturbation",
+                                              "An initial composition anomaly that perturbs the composition "
+                                              "following a random noise with uniform distribution and user "
+                                              "specified magnitude.")
+  }
+}
diff --git a/source/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.cc b/source/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.cc
index b639e202805..ba106e80389 100644
--- a/source/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.cc
+++ b/source/initial_temperature/random_perturbation.cc
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ namespace aspect
     template <int dim>
     RandomPerturbation<dim>::
     RandomPerturbation ()
-    :
-    random_number_generator(5432)
+      :
+      random_number_generator(5432)
     {
     }
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace aspect
     initial_temperature (const Point<dim> &/*position*/) const
     {
       // Uniform distribution on the interval [0,1]. This
-      // will be used to generate random particle locations.
+      // will be used to generate the random temperature perturbation.
       boost::uniform_01<double> uniform_distribution_01;
 
       return magnitude * 2.0 * (uniform_distribution_01(random_number_generator) - 0.5);
@@ -87,11 +87,8 @@ namespace aspect
   {
     ASPECT_REGISTER_INITIAL_TEMPERATURE_MODEL(RandomPerturbation,
                                               "random perturbation",
-                                              "An initial temperature field in which the temperature "
-                                              "is perturbed following a harmonic function (spherical "
-                                              "harmonic or sine depending on geometry and dimension) "
-                                              "in lateral and radial direction from an otherwise "
-                                              "constant temperature (incompressible model) or adiabatic "
-                                              "reference profile (compressible model).")
+                                              "An initial tempeature anomaly that perturbs the temperature "
+                                              "following a random noise with uniform distribution and user "
+                                              "specified magnitude.")
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/random_composition_perturbation.prm b/tests/random_composition_perturbation.prm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e23c5c681bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/random_composition_perturbation.prm
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# Test to check the status of the random initial temperature perturbation
+# plugin.
+
+set End time                               = 0
+
+subsection Boundary temperature model
+  set List of model names = box
+end
+
+
+subsection Gravity model
+  set Model name = vertical
+end
+
+
+subsection Geometry model
+  set Model name = box
+
+  subsection Box
+    set X extent = 1
+    set Y extent = 1
+  end
+end
+
+
+subsection Initial temperature model
+  set List of model names = function
+
+  subsection Function
+    set Function expression = 0.5
+  end
+end
+
+subsection Compositional fields
+  set Number of fields = 2
+end
+
+subsection Initial composition model
+  set List of model names = function, random perturbation
+
+  subsection Random perturbation
+    set Magnitude = 0.2
+  end
+
+  subsection Function
+    set Function expression = 0.5;0.0
+  end
+end
+
+
+subsection Material model
+  set Model name = simpler
+end
+
+
+subsection Mesh refinement
+  set Initial adaptive refinement        = 0
+  set Initial global refinement          = 3
+end
+
+
+subsection Model settings
+  set Tangential velocity boundary indicators = left, right, bottom, top
+end
+
+subsection Postprocess
+  set List of postprocessors = composition statistics
+end
+
diff --git a/tests/random_composition_perturbation/screen-output b/tests/random_composition_perturbation/screen-output
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a8a8dc6da65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/random_composition_perturbation/screen-output
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+
+Number of active cells: 64 (on 4 levels)
+Number of degrees of freedom: 1,526 (578+81+289+289+289)
+
+*** Timestep 0:  t=0 years
+   Solving temperature system... 0 iterations.
+   Solving C_1 system ... 0 iterations.
+   Solving C_2 system ... 0 iterations.
+   Rebuilding Stokes preconditioner...
+   Solving Stokes system... 2+0 iterations.
+
+   Postprocessing:
+     Compositions min/max/mass: 0.3001/0.6984/0.4938 // -0.2/0.1996/-0.01184
+
+Termination requested by criterion: end time
+
+
++---------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
++---------------------------------+-----------+------------+------------+
++---------------------------------+-----------+------------+------------+
+
diff --git a/tests/random_composition_perturbation/statistics b/tests/random_composition_perturbation/statistics
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..992b20ca031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/random_composition_perturbation/statistics
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# 1: Time step number
+# 2: Time (years)
+# 3: Time step size (years)
+# 4: Number of mesh cells
+# 5: Number of Stokes degrees of freedom
+# 6: Number of temperature degrees of freedom
+# 7: Number of degrees of freedom for all compositions
+# 8: Iterations for temperature solver
+# 9: Iterations for composition solver 1
+# 10: Iterations for composition solver 2
+# 11: Iterations for Stokes solver
+# 12: Velocity iterations in Stokes preconditioner
+# 13: Schur complement iterations in Stokes preconditioner
+# 14: Minimal value for composition C_1
+# 15: Maximal value for composition C_1
+# 16: Global mass for composition C_1
+# 17: Minimal value for composition C_2
+# 18: Maximal value for composition C_2
+# 19: Global mass for composition C_2
+0 0.000000000000e+00 0.000000000000e+00 64 659 289 578 0 0 0 2 3 2 3.00090365e-01 6.98414874e-01 4.93781411e-01 -1.99952361e-01 1.99564844e-01 -1.18366501e-02