diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 851b1ca2128..f20328e164f 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,14 @@ Random number generators and other randomness functionality.
 keywords = ["random", "rng"]
 
 [dependencies]
-libc = "0.2"
+libc = { version = "0.2", optional = true }
+core_io = { version = "0.1", optional = true } # enable use of read module on not(std)
+
+[features]
+default = ["std"]
+std = ["libc"]
+box = [] # enable use of Box on not(std), requires alloc crate and feature
+vec = [] # enable use of Vec on not(std), requires collections crate and feature
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 log = "0.3.0"
diff --git a/src/chacha.rs b/src/chacha.rs
index a347ec51f2c..f3870f5ebeb 100644
--- a/src/chacha.rs
+++ b/src/chacha.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 //! The ChaCha random number generator.
 
-use std::num::Wrapping as w;
+use core::num::Wrapping as w;
 use {Rng, SeedableRng, Rand, w32};
 
 const KEY_WORDS    : usize =  8; // 8 words for the 256-bit key
diff --git a/src/distributions/mod.rs b/src/distributions/mod.rs
index 50f9d955bbc..c70a24c6e41 100644
--- a/src/distributions/mod.rs
+++ b/src/distributions/mod.rs
@@ -17,19 +17,19 @@
 //! internally. The `IndependentSample` trait is for generating values
 //! that do not need to record state.
 
-use std::marker;
+use core::marker;
 
 use {Rng, Rand};
 
 pub use self::range::Range;
-pub use self::gamma::{Gamma, ChiSquared, FisherF, StudentT};
-pub use self::normal::{Normal, LogNormal};
-pub use self::exponential::Exp;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub use self::gamma::{Gamma, ChiSquared, FisherF, StudentT};
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub use self::normal::{Normal, LogNormal};
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub use self::exponential::Exp;
 
 pub mod range;
-pub mod gamma;
-pub mod normal;
-pub mod exponential;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub mod gamma;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub mod normal;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub mod exponential;
 
 /// Types that can be used to create a random instance of `Support`.
 pub trait Sample<Support> {
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ impl<'a, T: Clone> IndependentSample<T> for WeightedChoice<'a, T> {
     }
 }
 
-mod ziggurat_tables;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] mod ziggurat_tables;
 
 /// Sample a random number using the Ziggurat method (specifically the
 /// ZIGNOR variant from Doornik 2005). Most of the arguments are
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ mod ziggurat_tables;
 
 // the perf improvement (25-50%) is definitely worth the extra code
 // size from force-inlining.
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 #[inline(always)]
 fn ziggurat<R: Rng, P, Z>(
             rng: &mut R,
diff --git a/src/distributions/range.rs b/src/distributions/range.rs
index 3cf47be0207..945c3dd1bda 100644
--- a/src/distributions/range.rs
+++ b/src/distributions/range.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 // this is surprisingly complicated to be both generic & correct
 
-use std::num::Wrapping as w;
+use core::num::Wrapping as w;
 
 use Rng;
 use distributions::{Sample, IndependentSample};
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ macro_rules! integer_impl {
 
             fn construct_range(low: $ty, high: $ty) -> Range<$ty> {
                 let range = (w(high as $unsigned) - w(low as $unsigned)).0;
-                let unsigned_max: $unsigned = ::std::$unsigned::MAX;
+                let unsigned_max: $unsigned = ::core::$unsigned::MAX;
 
                 // this is the largest number that fits into $unsigned
                 // that `range` divides evenly, so, if we've sampled
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ mod tests {
                 $(
                    let v: &[($ty, $ty)] = &[(0, 10),
                                             (10, 127),
-                                            (::std::$ty::MIN, ::std::$ty::MAX)];
+                                            (::core::$ty::MIN, ::core::$ty::MAX)];
                    for &(low, high) in v.iter() {
                         let mut sampler: Range<$ty> = Range::new(low, high);
                         for _ in 0..1000 {
diff --git a/src/isaac.rs b/src/isaac.rs
index 42de3523fb0..ea8f6c1137b 100644
--- a/src/isaac.rs
+++ b/src/isaac.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 
 #![allow(non_camel_case_types)]
 
-use std::slice;
-use std::iter::repeat;
-use std::num::Wrapping as w;
+use core::slice;
+use core::iter::repeat;
+use core::num::Wrapping as w;
 
 use {Rng, SeedableRng, Rand, w32, w64};
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 472e4ece331..56e68c32538 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -241,16 +241,27 @@
        html_favicon_url = "https://www.rust-lang.org/favicon.ico",
        html_root_url = "https://doc.rust-lang.org/rand/")]
 
+#![cfg_attr(not(feature="std"),no_std)]
+#![cfg_attr(all(feature="box",not(feature="std")),feature(alloc))]
+#![cfg_attr(all(feature="vec",not(feature="std")),feature(collections))]
+
 #[cfg(test)] #[macro_use] extern crate log;
 
-use std::cell::RefCell;
-use std::marker;
-use std::mem;
-use std::io;
-use std::rc::Rc;
-use std::num::Wrapping as w;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] extern crate std as core;
+#[cfg(all(feature="core_io",not(feature="std")))] extern crate core_io as io;
+#[cfg(all(feature="box",not(feature="std")))] extern crate alloc;
+#[cfg(all(feature="vec",not(feature="std")))] extern crate collections;
+
+#[cfg(feature="std")] use core::cell::RefCell;
+use core::marker;
+use core::mem;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] use std::io;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] use std::rc::Rc;
+use core::num::Wrapping as w;
+#[cfg(all(feature="box",not(feature="std")))] use alloc::boxed::Box;
+#[cfg(all(feature="vec",not(feature="std")))] use collections::vec::Vec;
 
-pub use os::OsRng;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub use os::OsRng;
 
 pub use isaac::{IsaacRng, Isaac64Rng};
 pub use chacha::ChaChaRng;
@@ -268,8 +279,8 @@ pub mod isaac;
 pub mod chacha;
 pub mod reseeding;
 mod rand_impls;
-pub mod os;
-pub mod read;
+#[cfg(feature="std")] pub mod os;
+#[cfg(any(feature="std",feature="core_io"))] pub mod read;
 
 #[allow(bad_style)]
 type w64 = w<u64>;
@@ -576,6 +587,7 @@ impl<'a, R: ?Sized> Rng for &'a mut R where R: Rng {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(any(feature="box",feature="std"))]
 impl<R: ?Sized> Rng for Box<R> where R: Rng {
     fn next_u32(&mut self) -> u32 {
         (**self).next_u32()
@@ -810,6 +822,7 @@ impl StdRng {
     ///
     /// Reading the randomness from the OS may fail, and any error is
     /// propagated via the `io::Result` return value.
+    #[cfg(feature="std")]
     pub fn new() -> io::Result<StdRng> {
         OsRng::new().map(|mut r| StdRng { rng: r.gen() })
     }
@@ -848,6 +861,7 @@ impl<'a> SeedableRng<&'a [usize]> for StdRng {
 ///
 /// This will read randomness from the operating system to seed the
 /// generator.
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 pub fn weak_rng() -> XorShiftRng {
     match OsRng::new() {
         Ok(mut r) => r.gen(),
@@ -856,8 +870,10 @@ pub fn weak_rng() -> XorShiftRng {
 }
 
 /// Controls how the thread-local RNG is reseeded.
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 struct ThreadRngReseeder;
 
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 impl reseeding::Reseeder<StdRng> for ThreadRngReseeder {
     fn reseed(&mut self, rng: &mut StdRng) {
         *rng = match StdRng::new() {
@@ -866,11 +882,14 @@ impl reseeding::Reseeder<StdRng> for ThreadRngReseeder {
         }
     }
 }
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 const THREAD_RNG_RESEED_THRESHOLD: u64 = 32_768;
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 type ThreadRngInner = reseeding::ReseedingRng<StdRng, ThreadRngReseeder>;
 
 /// The thread-local RNG.
 #[derive(Clone)]
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 pub struct ThreadRng {
     rng: Rc<RefCell<ThreadRngInner>>,
 }
@@ -886,6 +905,7 @@ pub struct ThreadRng {
 /// if the operating system random number generator is rigged to give
 /// the same sequence always. If absolute consistency is required,
 /// explicitly select an RNG, e.g. `IsaacRng` or `Isaac64Rng`.
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 pub fn thread_rng() -> ThreadRng {
     // used to make space in TLS for a random number generator
     thread_local!(static THREAD_RNG_KEY: Rc<RefCell<ThreadRngInner>> = {
@@ -902,6 +922,7 @@ pub fn thread_rng() -> ThreadRng {
     ThreadRng { rng: THREAD_RNG_KEY.with(|t| t.clone()) }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 impl Rng for ThreadRng {
     fn next_u32(&mut self) -> u32 {
         self.rng.borrow_mut().next_u32()
@@ -959,6 +980,7 @@ impl Rng for ThreadRng {
 ///     *x = rng.gen();
 /// }
 /// ```
+#[cfg(feature="std")]
 #[inline]
 pub fn random<T: Rand>() -> T {
     thread_rng().gen()
@@ -975,6 +997,7 @@ pub fn random<T: Rand>() -> T {
 /// let sample = sample(&mut rng, 1..100, 5);
 /// println!("{:?}", sample);
 /// ```
+#[cfg(any(feature="vec",feature="std"))]
 pub fn sample<T, I, R>(rng: &mut R, iterable: I, amount: usize) -> Vec<T>
     where I: IntoIterator<Item=T>,
           R: Rng,
diff --git a/src/rand_impls.rs b/src/rand_impls.rs
index 5a7e3de0b03..0d501a62f11 100644
--- a/src/rand_impls.rs
+++ b/src/rand_impls.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 
 //! The implementations of `Rand` for the built-in types.
 
-use std::char;
-use std::mem;
+use core::char;
+use core::mem;
 
 use {Rand,Rng};
 
diff --git a/src/read.rs b/src/read.rs
index 9e420bcde4e..ad78fab6fe7 100644
--- a/src/read.rs
+++ b/src/read.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
 
 //! A wrapper around any Read to treat it as an RNG.
 
-use std::io::{self, Read};
-use std::mem;
+#[cfg(not(feature="std"))] use io::{self, Read};
+#[cfg(feature="std")] use std::io::{self, Read};
+use core::mem;
 use Rng;
 
 /// An RNG that reads random bytes straight from a `Read`. This will
diff --git a/src/reseeding.rs b/src/reseeding.rs
index 39e464d7f8b..6585516fcdb 100644
--- a/src/reseeding.rs
+++ b/src/reseeding.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 //! A wrapper around another RNG that reseeds it after it
 //! generates a certain number of random bytes.
 
-use std::default::Default;
+use core::default::Default;
 
 use {Rng, SeedableRng};