diff --git a/skimage/feature/brief.py b/skimage/feature/brief.py
index 783cdbd0..3a53f89f 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/brief.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/brief.py
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ class BRIEF(DescriptorExtractor):
         """
         assert_nD(image, 2)
 
-        np.random.seed(self.sample_seed)
+        random = np.random.RandomState()
+        random.seed(self.sample_seed)
 
         image = _prepare_grayscale_input_2D(image)
 
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ class BRIEF(DescriptorExtractor):
         desc_size = self.descriptor_size
         patch_size = self.patch_size
         if self.mode == 'normal':
-            samples = (patch_size / 5.0) * np.random.randn(desc_size * 8)
+            samples = (patch_size / 5.0) * random.randn(desc_size * 8)
             samples = np.array(samples, dtype=np.int32)
             samples = samples[(samples < (patch_size // 2))
                               & (samples > - (patch_size - 2) // 2)]
@@ -159,9 +160,9 @@ class BRIEF(DescriptorExtractor):
             pos1 = samples[:desc_size * 2].reshape(desc_size, 2)
             pos2 = samples[desc_size * 2:desc_size * 4].reshape(desc_size, 2)
         elif self.mode == 'uniform':
-            samples = np.random.randint(-(patch_size - 2) // 2,
-                                        (patch_size // 2) + 1,
-                                        (desc_size * 2, 2))
+            samples = random.randint(-(patch_size - 2) // 2,
+                                     (patch_size // 2) + 1,
+                                     (desc_size * 2, 2))
             samples = np.array(samples, dtype=np.int32)
             pos1, pos2 = np.split(samples, 2)
 
diff --git a/skimage/feature/brief_cy.pyx b/skimage/feature/brief_cy.pyx
index 8cd1afa7..1773894d 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/brief_cy.pyx
+++ b/skimage/feature/brief_cy.pyx
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ def _brief_loop(double[:, ::1] image, unsigned char[:, ::1] descriptors,
 
     cdef Py_ssize_t k, d, kr, kc, pr0, pr1, pc0, pc1
 
-    for p in range(pos0.shape[0]):
-        pr0 = pos0[p, 0]
-        pc0 = pos0[p, 1]
-        pr1 = pos1[p, 0]
-        pc1 = pos1[p, 1]
-        for k in range(keypoints.shape[0]):
-            kr = keypoints[k, 0]
-            kc = keypoints[k, 1]
-            if image[kr + pr0, kc + pc0] < image[kr + pr1, kc + pc1]:
-                descriptors[k, p] = True
+    with nogil:
+        for p in range(pos0.shape[0]):
+            pr0 = pos0[p, 0]
+            pc0 = pos0[p, 1]
+            pr1 = pos1[p, 0]
+            pc1 = pos1[p, 1]
+            for k in range(keypoints.shape[0]):
+                kr = keypoints[k, 0]
+                kc = keypoints[k, 1]
+                if image[kr + pr0, kc + pc0] < image[kr + pr1, kc + pc1]:
+                    descriptors[k, p] = True
diff --git a/skimage/feature/tests/test_brief.py b/skimage/feature/tests/test_brief.py
index 554301b2..e70a1148 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/tests/test_brief.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/tests/test_brief.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from skimage import data
 from skimage import transform as tf
 from skimage.color import rgb2gray
 from skimage.feature import BRIEF, corner_peaks, corner_harris
+from skimage._shared.testing import test_parallel
 
 
 def test_color_image_unsupported_error():