N,N'-Diacetylethylene diamine (DAED) is produced by first adding the stoichiometric amount of acetic acid (2 mols per mol of ethylene diamine) at least partially in the form of aqueous acetic acid to ethylene diamine, distilling off in a second step the water contained in the reaction mixture, adding acetic acid in excess to the remaining product, distilling off the aqueous acetic acid formed and recycling it into the first process step. The DAED remains as sump product after distillation of the acetic acid.