diff --git a/src/lib/rng/rng.h b/src/lib/rng/rng.h
index c7d97c6f629..f28413d2799 100644
--- a/src/lib/rng/rng.h
+++ b/src/lib/rng/rng.h
@@ -196,12 +196,17 @@ class BOTAN_PUBLIC_API(2, 0) RandomNumberGenerator {
       /**
       * Fill a given byte container with @p bytes random bytes
       *
-      * @todo deprecate this overload (in favor of randomize())
+      * Deprecated
+      * Use randomize(std::span<uint8_t>) overload instead. No resizing or
+      * allocation operations are performed here. This overload exists for
+      * historical reasons and will be removed in Botan4.
       *
       * @param  v     the container to be filled with @p bytes random bytes
       * @throws Exception if RNG fails
+      *
+      * TODO(Botan4) remove this function
       */
-      void random_vec(std::span<uint8_t> v) { this->randomize(v); }
+      BOTAN_DEPRECATED("Use randomize() instead") void random_vec(std::span<uint8_t> v) { this->randomize(v); }
 
       /**
       * Resize a given byte container to @p bytes and fill it with random bytes
@@ -214,7 +219,7 @@ class BOTAN_PUBLIC_API(2, 0) RandomNumberGenerator {
       template <concepts::resizable_byte_buffer T>
       void random_vec(T& v, size_t bytes) {
          v.resize(bytes);
-         random_vec(v);
+         randomize(v);
       }
 
       /**
@@ -239,7 +244,7 @@ class BOTAN_PUBLIC_API(2, 0) RandomNumberGenerator {
       template <size_t bytes>
       std::array<uint8_t, bytes> random_array() {
          std::array<uint8_t, bytes> result{};
-         random_vec(result);
+         randomize(result);
          return result;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/test_rng.h b/src/tests/test_rng.h
index 430324ad1b3..b0a016f32e4 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_rng.h
+++ b/src/tests/test_rng.h
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Fixed_Output_Position_RNG final : public Fixed_Output_RNG {
             Fixed_Output_RNG::fill_bytes_with_input(output, input);
          } else {
             // return random
-            m_rng.random_vec(output);
+            m_rng.randomize(output);
          }
       }
 
diff --git a/src/tests/test_strong_type.cpp b/src/tests/test_strong_type.cpp
index bff96117189..09022549cf6 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_strong_type.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/test_strong_type.cpp
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ class Strong_Type_Tests final : public Test {
          auto tb = rng.random_vec<Test_Buffer>(4);
          auto tsb = rng.random_vec<Test_Secure_Buffer>(4);
          Test_Fixed_Array tfa;
-         rng.random_vec(tfa);
+         rng.randomize(tfa);
 
          result.test_bin_eq("generated expected output", tb.get(), "deadbeef");
          result.test_bin_eq("generated expected secure output", tsb.get(), "baadcafe");