The title compound, C(17)H(16)N(2)O(3), crystallizes with two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. In both mol-ecules, the fused cyclo-hexenone ring adopts a sofa conformation. In the crystal, N-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into corrugated layers parallel to the (101) plane.