The molecular structure of pyroergotamine has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis to be the pyruvoyldiketopiperazine 1. The diketopiperazine ring exists in a folded or boat conformation, with a dihedral angle of 40° between the two almost planar peptide units. The R-group of the phenylalanine residue occupies a quasi-axial position of the diketopiperazine ring, while that of the proline residue is in a quasi-equatorial position. Puzzling spectroscopic and chemical properties of the compound can be rationalised in terms of crowding within the molecule.