Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on a hitherto undescribed facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, gram-positive rod-shaped organism, strain M577-94T, isolated from the small intestine of a dead badger. It resembled carnobacteria in terms of its long-chain cellular fatty acid composition, but differed markedly from the latter in possessing a cell-wall murein based on L-lysine (type L-Lys-L-Thr-Gly). Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the unknown bacterium represents a new line closely related to, albeit distinct from, the genera Carnobacterium and Desemzia. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that strain M577-94T be classified as Isobaculum melis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Isobaculum melis is CCUG 37660T (= DSM 13760T).