We describe a method to facilitate electrophoretic separation of high-molecular-weight RNA species, such as ribosomal RNAs and their precursors, on agarose-formaldehyde gels. Two alternative "pK-matched" buffer systems were substituted for the traditionally used Mops-based conductive medium. The key advantages include shortened run times, a 5-fold reduction in formaldehyde concentration, a significantly improved resolution of long RNAs, and consistency in separation. The new procedure has a streamlined work flow that helps to minimize errors and is broadly applicable to agarose gel electrophoresis of RNA samples and their subsequent analysis by Northern blotting. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.