diff --git a/backfiller/backfiller/main.py b/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
index 17b7fb0..bfc627f 100644
--- a/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
+++ b/backfiller/backfiller/main.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import datetime
 import errno
 import os
+import random
 import time
 import uuid
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import common
 
 
 HOUR_FMT = '%Y-%m-%dT%H'
+
 TIMEOUT = 5 #default timeout for remote requests 
 
 def get_nodes():
@@ -42,10 +44,10 @@ def list_local_segments(base_dir, stream, variant, hour):
 	path = os.path.join(base_dir, stream, variant, hour)
 	try:
 		return [name for name in os.listdir(path) if not name.startswith('.')]
+
 	except OSError as e:
 		if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
 			raise
-		
 		return []	
 
 
@@ -97,7 +99,9 @@ def get_remote_segment(base_dir, node, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment,
 	common.rename(temp_path, path)
 
 
-def backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None):
+
+def backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None, start=None,
+		 stop=None, order=None):
 	
 	# loop over nodes backfilling from each
 
@@ -107,7 +111,7 @@ def backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None):
 	#ideally do this in parallel
 	for node in nodes:
 		try:
-			backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours)
+			backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours, start, stop, order=order)
 		#need to replace this with a more sophisticated error handler
 		except Exception as e:
 			print node, e
@@ -121,7 +125,8 @@ def is_iterable(x):
 	return True
 
 
-def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, recent_cutoff=60):
+def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, start=None,
+		stop=None, recent_cutoff=60, order=None):
 
 	# if hours is None, backfill all hourdirs
 	if hours is None:
@@ -139,6 +144,18 @@ def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours=None, recent_cutoff=60
 		now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
 		hours = [(now - i * timedelta(hours=1)).strftime(HOUR_FMT) for i in range(n_hours)]
 
+	if start is not None:
+		hours = [hour for hour in hours if hour >= start]
+
+	if stop is not None:
+		hours = [hour for hour in hours if hour <= stop]
+
+	# useful if running in parallel and expecting to fetch a segments from
+	# multiple hours (say on start up) so that you don't try to backfill the
+	# same hour at the same time 
+	if order == 'random':
+		hours = random.shuffle(hours)
+
 	for variant in variants:
 
 		for hour in hours:
@@ -167,7 +184,7 @@ def main(base_dir, stream, variants, fill_wait=5, full_fill_wait=180, sleep_time
 	full_fill_start = fill_start
 
 	# Do a full backfill at start
-	backfill(base_dir, stream, variants)
+	backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, order='random')
 	
 	# I'm sure there is a module that does this in a more robust way 
 	# but I understand this and it gives the behaviour I want