Reactions of 2-(6-tert-butyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-3(2H)-ylidene)-3-oxo-3-R-propanenitriles (R = t-Bu, Ad-1) with tert-butyl bromoacetate gave the corresponding N(2), C(5) O bis-alkylation products. Treatment of the latter with t-BuLi, in the case of R = t-Bu, led to intramolecular condensation at the exocyclic nitrile group. However, in the case of R = Ad-1, the condensation with the sterically more hindered carbonyl group was observed to give diastereomerically pure 8-cyanopyrrolo [1,2-b][1,2,4]triazine-6-carboxylate derivatives. The structures of the isolated products were confirmed by spectral methods and X-ray singlecrystal diffraction.