The reaction of 2‐amino‐4,5‐dimethyl‐ thiophene‐3‐carboxamide with iso(and isothio) cyanates for the synthesis of thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidines has been investigated. The reactions under microwave irradiation in the presence of N,N‐dimethyl acetamide as solvent gave 5,6‐dimethylthieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐dione, 5,6‐dimethyl‐2‐thioxo‐2,3‐dihy‐ drothieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(1H)‐one, and 2‐aryla‐ mino‐5,6‐dimethylthieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4(3H)‐one derivatives. These reactions probably proceed through intermediates 4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐substitutedcarbamoth‐ ioylaminothiophene‐3‐carboxamides. Two of these intermediates were isolated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 20:346–349, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.20557