2-ethylenediammonium dichloride (1) and dibromide (2) were prepared by the reaction of N,N,N ,N -tetramethyl-1,2-ethylenediamine and the corresponding 1-halopropane. The structures of the compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 · 2H 2 O crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system, space group P1, with Z = 1, and 2 in the monoclinic crystal system, space group P2 1 /c, with Z = 2. The crystal structures of the salts consist of discrete dications and halide anions. The packing in 1 · 2H 2 O consists of layers of cations with the chloride anions and water molecules forming hydrogen-bonded chains between the cation layers. In 2, the strongest H···Br hydrogen bonds of 2.8138(6) and 2.8187(7)Å link the cations and anions into doublestranded chains. In both salts, cations and anions are also linked together by a further weak C-H···Cl/Br hydrogen bonding network.