A novel actinomycete was isolated from radiation-polluted soil collected from Xinjiang in north-western China. The isolate, strain R24(T), was found to have chemical and morphological properties associated with members of the genus Lechevalieria. An almost-complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate was aligned with corresponding sequences from representatives of the genus Lechevalieria and related taxa, using three tree-making algorithms, and was shown to form a distinct phyletic line in the Lechevalieria phylogenetic tree. DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data served to distinguish strain R24(T) from members of the three Lechevalieria species with validly published names. The genotypic and phenotypic data show that the isolate should be classified as a novel species within the genus Lechevalieria. The name proposed for this taxon is Lechevalieria xinjiangensis sp. nov. The type strain is R24(T) (=CGMCC 4.3525(T)=DSM 45081(T)).