--- a/src/wifi/helper/wifi-helper.cc	Sun Sep 08 09:57:13 2013 -0700
+++ a/src/wifi/helper/wifi-helper.cc	Wed Sep 11 05:37:26 2013 -0700
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ 
 #include "ns3/dca-txop.h"
 #include "ns3/edca-txop-n.h"
 #include "ns3/minstrel-wifi-manager.h"
+#include "ns3/ap-wifi-mac.h"
 #include "ns3/wifi-phy.h"
 #include "ns3/wifi-remote-station-manager.h"
 #include "ns3/wifi-channel.h"
@@ -215,6 +216,13 @@ 
               rmac->GetAttribute ("BK_EdcaTxopN", ptr);
               Ptr<EdcaTxopN> bk_edcaTxopN = ptr.Get<EdcaTxopN> ();
               currentStream += bk_edcaTxopN->AssignStreams (currentStream);
+
+              // if an AP, handle any beacon jitter
+              Ptr<ApWifiMac> apmac = DynamicCast<ApWifiMac> (rmac);
+              if (apmac)
+                {
+                  currentStream += apmac->AssignStreams (currentStream);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
--- a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc	Sun Sep 08 09:57:13 2013 -0700
+++ a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.cc	Wed Sep 11 05:37:26 2013 -0700
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ 
                    MakeTimeAccessor (&ApWifiMac::GetBeaconInterval,
                                      &ApWifiMac::SetBeaconInterval),
                    MakeTimeChecker ())
+    .AddAttribute ("BeaconJitter", "A uniform random variable to cause the initial beacon starting time (after simulation time 0) to be distributed between 0 and the BeaconInterval.",
+                   StringValue ("ns3::UniformRandomVariable"),
+                   MakePointerAccessor (&ApWifiMac::m_beaconJitter),
+                   MakePointerChecker<UniformRandomVariable> ())
+    .AddAttribute ("EnableBeaconJitter", "If beacons are enabled, whether to jitter the initial send event.",
+                   BooleanValue (false),
+                   MakeBooleanAccessor (&ApWifiMac::m_enableBeaconJitter),
+                   MakeBooleanChecker ())
     .AddAttribute ("BeaconGeneration", "Whether or not beacons are generated.",
                    BooleanValue (true),
                    MakeBooleanAccessor (&ApWifiMac::SetBeaconGeneration,
@@ -172,6 +180,14 @@ 
   SendOneBeacon ();
 }
 
+int64_t
+ApWifiMac::AssignStreams (int64_t stream)
+{
+  NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << stream);
+  m_beaconJitter->SetStream (stream);
+  return 1;
+}
+
 void
 ApWifiMac::ForwardDown (Ptr<const Packet> packet, Mac48Address from,
                         Mac48Address to)
@@ -648,7 +664,17 @@ 
   m_beaconEvent.Cancel ();
   if (m_enableBeaconGeneration)
     {
-      m_beaconEvent = Simulator::ScheduleNow (&ApWifiMac::SendOneBeacon, this);
+      if (m_enableBeaconJitter)
+        {
+          int64_t jitter = m_beaconJitter->GetValue (0, m_beaconInterval.GetMicroSeconds ());
+          NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Scheduling initial beacon for access point " << GetAddress() << " at time " << jitter << " microseconds");
+          m_beaconEvent = Simulator::Schedule (MicroSeconds (jitter), &ApWifiMac::SendOneBeacon, this);
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          NS_LOG_DEBUG ("Scheduling initial beacon for access point " << GetAddress() << " at time 0");
+          m_beaconEvent = Simulator::ScheduleNow (&ApWifiMac::SendOneBeacon, this);
+        }
     }
   RegularWifiMac::DoInitialize ();
 }
--- a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h	Sun Sep 08 09:57:13 2013 -0700
+++ a/src/wifi/model/ap-wifi-mac.h	Wed Sep 11 05:37:26 2013 -0700
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ 
 #include "ht-capabilities.h"
 #include "amsdu-subframe-header.h"
 #include "supported-rates.h"
+#include "ns3/random-variable-stream.h"
 
 namespace ns3 {
 
@@ -95,6 +96,16 @@ 
    */
   void StartBeaconing (void);
 
+ /**
+  * Assign a fixed random variable stream number to the random variables
+  * used by this model.  Return the number of streams (possibly zero) that
+  * have been assigned.
+  *
+  * \param stream first stream index to use
+  * \return the number of stream indices assigned by this model
+  */
+  int64_t AssignStreams (int64_t stream);
+
 private:
   virtual void Receive (Ptr<Packet> packet, const WifiMacHeader *hdr);
   virtual void TxOk (const WifiMacHeader &hdr);
@@ -128,6 +139,8 @@ 
   Time m_beaconInterval;
   bool m_enableBeaconGeneration;
   EventId m_beaconEvent;
+  Ptr<UniformRandomVariable> m_beaconJitter;
+  bool m_enableBeaconJitter;
 };
 
 } // namespace ns3
--- a/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc	Sun Sep 08 09:57:13 2013 -0700
+++ a/src/wifi/test/wifi-test.cc	Wed Sep 11 05:37:26 2013 -0700
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ 
 #include "ns3/pointer.h"
 #include "ns3/rng-seed-manager.h"
 #include "ns3/edca-txop-n.h"
+#include "ns3/config.h"
+#include "ns3/boolean.h"
 
 namespace ns3 {
 
@@ -416,6 +418,10 @@ 
   RngSeedManager::SetSeed (1);
   RngSeedManager::SetRun (17);
 
+  // Disable the initial jitter of AP beacons (test case was written before
+  // beacon jitter was added)
+  Config::SetDefault ("ns3::ApWifiMac::EnableBeaconJitter", BooleanValue (false));
+
   Ptr<YansWifiChannel> channel = CreateObject<YansWifiChannel> ();
   Ptr<PropagationDelayModel> propDelay = m_propDelay.Create<PropagationDelayModel> ();
   Ptr<PropagationLossModel> propLoss = CreateObject<RandomPropagationLossModel> ();