The disclosure herein relates to a novel process for producing tertiary 2-haloacetamides by reacting primary or secondary 2-haloacetamides with an agent capable of generating an anion of the primary or secondary 2-haloacetamide under base conditions and alkylating the anion of the 2-haloamide with an alkylating agent; said anion is generated, for example, by electrolysis or by metals, metal hydrides, fluorides, oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, phosphates, or alkoxides.