The title complex, [Mg(C5H7O2)2(C6H16N2)], has been synthesized from magnesium acetylacetonate [Mg(acac)2] and tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) in n-hexane. The monomeric complex consists of a central magnesium(II) atom, which is surrounded nearly octahedrally by two chelating acetylacetonato ligands and one chelating TMEDA ligand. [Mg(C5H7O2)2(C6H16N2)] is isotypic with its Zn analogue.