The title compound, 4-(4-methylphenyl)-1,3-diaza-2,4-dithiabuta-1,2-diene, C7H8N2S2, was the first example of a stable monosubstituted sulfur diimide to be documented [Jones (1988). PhD thesis, Imperial College, University of London, England]. Although a partial description of this structure was published previously, the full details are presented here. This allows a detailed comparison against the only other example of this system published to date, highlighting differences in bonding, conformation and packing.