As part of an ongoing total synthesis project, we required a reliable and scaleable procedure for the preparation of methyl 2-oxo-5-vinyl-tetrahydrofuran-3-carboxylate (1a). 1 Initial attempts to prepare 1a centered on a reported one-step procedure for the synthesis of ethyl ester analog 1b involving the condensation of diethyl malonate with butadiene monoxide. 2 However, repeated attempts to condense malonate ester with butadiene monoxide following the reported ...