The title compounds are electron-poor ethynes. The structure determination of bis(tert-butylsulfonyl)ethyne, C10H18O4S2, (I), is the first of a bis-sulfonyl-substituted ethyne. The molecule is situated on a crystallographic inversion centre. The S-Csp bond [1.737 (2) A] is the longest of this type reported to date. 1-tert-Butylsulfinyl-2-tert-butylsulfonylethyne, C10H18O3S2, (II), which is basically the same as (I) minus one O atom, crystallizes isomorphous with (I). This results in a nearly equal distribution of the three O atoms over the four possible positions.