An improved process for the commercial production of malononitrile by the dehydration of cyanoacetamide employs cyanuric chloride in the presence of a catalytic amount of N,N-dimethylformamide and in a polar solvent that is removed by vacuum distillation at a temperature below 100° C. The N,N-dimethylformamide is added in a molar ratio of 0.16 moles for each mole of cyanoacetamide present in the starting solution.