A concise and efficient synthesis of 6-benzimidazolyl-5-nitrosopyrimidines has been developed using Schiff base-type intermediates derived from N 4 -(2-aminophenyl)-6-methoxy-5-nitrosopyrimidine-2,4-diamine. 6-Methoxy- N 4 -{2-[(4-methylbenzylidene)amino]phenyl}-5-nitrosopyrimidine-2,4-diamine, (I), and N 4 -{2-[(ethoxymethylidene)amino]phenyl}-6-methoxy-5-nitrosopyrimidine-2,4-diamine, (III), both crystallize from dimethyl sulfoxide solution as the 1:1 solvates C 19 H 18 N 6 O 2 ·C 2 H 6 OS, (I a ), and C 14 H 16 N 6 O 3 ·C 2 H 6 OS, (III a ), respectively. The interatomic distances in these intermediates indicate significant electronic polarization within the substituted pyrimidine system. In each of (I a ) and (III a ), intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds generate centrosymmetric four-molecule aggregates. Oxidative ring closure of intermediate (I), effected using ammonium hexanitratocerate(IV), produced 4-methoxy-6-[2-(4-methylphenyl-1 H -benzimidazol-1-yl]-5-nitrosopyrimidin-2-amine, C 19 H 16 N 6 O 2 , (II) [Cobo et al. (2018). Private communication (CCDC 1830889). CCDC, Cambridge, England], where the extent of electronic polarization is much less than in (I a ) and (III a ). A combination of N—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (II) into complex sheets.