Several thiazole nucleosides structurally related to tiazofurin (1) and ARPP (2) were prepared, in order to determine whether these nucleosides had enhanced antitumor/antiviral activities. Ring closure of 1‐(2,3,5‐tri‐O‐benzoyl‐β‐D‐ribofuranosyl)thiourea (4) with ethyl bromopyruvate (5a) gave ethyl 2‐(2,3,5‐tri‐O‐benzoyl‐β‐D‐ribofuranosylamino)thiazole‐4‐carboxylate (6a). Treatment of 6a with sodium methoxide furnished methyl 2‐(β‐D‐ribopyranosylamino)thiazole‐4‐carboxylate (9). Ammonolysis of the corresponding methyl ester of 6a gave a unique acycloaminonucleoside 2‐[(1R, 2R, 3R, 4R)(1‐benzamido‐2,3,4,5‐tetrahydroxypentane)amino]‐thiazole‐4‐carboxamide (7a). Direct glycosylation of the sodium salt of ethyl 2‐mercaptothiazole‐4‐carboxylate (12) with 2,3,5‐tri‐O‐benzoyl‐D‐ribofuranosyl bromide (11) gave the protected nucleoside 10, which on ammonolysis provided 2‐(β‐D‐ribofuranosylthio)thiazole‐4‐carboxamide (3b). Similar glycosylation of 12 with 2‐deoxy‐3,5‐di‐O‐p‐toluoyl‐α‐D‐erythro‐pentofuranosyl chloride (13), followed by ammonolysis gave 2‐(2‐deoxy‐β‐D‐ribofuranosylthio)thiazole‐4‐carboxamide (3c). The structural assignments of 3b, 7a, and 9 were made by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis and their hydrogen bonding characteristics have been studied. These compounds are devoid of any significant antiviral/antitumor activity in vitro.