The necessity of reconsidering the nucleation theory for the case of the
initial stage of reactive diffusion is demonstrated. The existence of sharp
concentration gradients and huge diffusion fluxes in the nucleation region
changes both the thermodynamics and kinetics of nucleation as well as the very
notions of critical nucleus and incubation time. In particular, the incubation
period for intermediate phases depends on the diffusivity of the parent phase;
nucleation behaviour for the `total mixing mode' can be non-monotonic; the
result of competition of different nucleation modes depends on the ratio of
diffusivities in the new and parent phases.