The octa-hedral coordination of the Cr(0) atom in the title compound, [Cr(C(20)H(24)N(2))(CO)(4)], displays some distortion. This is manifested by an exocyclic torsion angle C(mesitylene)-N-Cr-C(carbon-yl) that deviates by more than 20° from planarity. Another structural feature is the significant distortion from linearity of the Cr-C-O angles of the two carbonyl groups that inter-act with both ortho-methyl groups of the two mesitylene rings. The remaining two carbonyl groups overlap with the centres of the mesitylene rings themselves and are linear within <3°.