A dihydrate pseudopolymorph of bis(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)methanone, C(13)H(10)O(5)·2H(2)O, (I), was obtained during polymorphism screening of hydroxybenzophenone derivatives. This structure, in which the molecule sits on a twofold axis, was compared with the known anhydrous form of (I) [Schlemper (1982). Acta Cryst. B38, 554-559]. The role of water in the crystal assembly was established on the basis of the known monohydrate pseudopolymorph of 3,4-dihydroxybenzophenone [Landre, Souza, Corrêa, Martins & Doriguetto (2010). Acta Cryst. C66, o463-o465].