To aid in the selection of chemical candidates for in vivo tests, the mutagenicity of 5 thiazole compounds was evaluated in the Salmonella plate incorporation assay and mouse lymphoma L5178Y TK+/- assay. Two of the compounds, 2-thiazolamine and 3-methyl-5-isothiazolamine, were positive in both assays; and one, thiazole, was negative. With the other 2 compounds the results were nonconcordant: 5-phenyl-2,4-thiazolediamine was negative in the Salmonella assay but positive in the mouse lymphoma assay, and C.I. Basic Red 29 was positive in the Salmonella assay while the response in the mouse lymphoma assay was considered equivocal.