A single-crystal X-ray structure determination of the reagent (butane-1,4-diyl)(N,N,N′,N′- tetramethylethylenediamine)palladium(II) has shown that crystals are orthorhombic, Pbca, a 15.832(3), b 14.128(9), c 11.451(3) Ǻ, Z 8. The square planar complex has puckered PdCH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂ and PdNMe₂CH₂CH₂NMe₂ rings in which the outer carbon atoms deviate by c. ±0.35 Ǻ from the 'PdC₂N₂' mean plane.