diff --git a/dap/utils/__init__.py b/dap/utils/__init__.py
index 45f8cbe..c195111 100644
--- a/dap/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/dap/utils/__init__.py
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@
 from .aggregator import Aggregator
 from .bits import read_bit
 from .bufjson import BufferedJSON
+from .randskip import randskip
 
 
diff --git a/dap/utils/randskip.py b/dap/utils/randskip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcc8758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dap/utils/randskip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+from random import randint
+
+
+def randskip(skip_rate):
+    return (randint(1, skip_rate) != 1)
+
+
+# from randint docs:
+#  randint(a, b)
+#  Return random integer in range [a, b], including both end points.
+
+# thus:
+#  randskip(1)   -> False 100% of times (never skip)
+#  randskip(10)  -> False  10% of times (skip 90%)
+#  randskip(100) -> False   1% of times (skip 99%)
+
+#TODO: does this actually make sense?
+
+
+
diff --git a/dap/worker.py b/dap/worker.py
index 371ceb4..a6c0f06 100644
--- a/dap/worker.py
+++ b/dap/worker.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import argparse
-from random import randint
 
 import numpy as np
 
 from algos import calc_apply_threshold, calc_force_send, calc_mask_pixels, calc_peakfinder_analysis, calc_radial_integration, calc_roi, calc_spi_analysis, JFData
-from utils import Aggregator, BufferedJSON, read_bit
+from utils import Aggregator, BufferedJSON, randskip, read_bit
 from zmqsocks import ZMQSockets
 
 
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ def work(backend_address, accumulator_host, accumulator_port, visualisation_host
 
         # hits are sent at full rate, but no-hits are sent at reduced frequency
         is_no_hit_frame = (not results["is_hit_frame"])
-        random_skip = (randint(1, skip_frames_rate) != 1)
+        random_skip = randskip(skip_frames_rate)
         is_no_hit_frame_and_skipped = (is_no_hit_frame and random_skip)
 
         if aggregation_is_enabled_but_not_ready or is_bad_frame or is_no_hit_frame_and_skipped: