The taxonomic position of strain MSSRFBL1(T), isolated from chickpea rhizosphere soil from Kannivadi, India, was determined. Strain MSSRFBL1(T) formed bluish black colonies, stained Gram-negative and was motile, aerobic, capable of fixing dinitrogen, oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. Q-10 was the major respiratory quinone. Major fatty acids of strain MSSRFBL1(T) were C18 : 1ω7c and C19 : 0cycloω8c. Minor amounts of C18 : 0, C12 : 0, C14 : 0 3-OH, C18 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c, C17 : 0 3-OH and C20 : 1ω7c were also present. Polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and two unidentified glycolipids. Bacteriohopane derivatives (BHD1 and 2), diplopterol, diploptene, bishomohopanediol, adenosylhopane and 2β-methyl bacteriohopanetetrol were the major hopanoids of strain MSSRFBL1(T). The genomic DNA G+C content was 71 mol%. EzTaxon-e-based blast analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated the highest similarity of strain MSSRFBL1(T) to Ensifer adhaerens LMG 20216(T) (97.3 %) and other members of the genus Ensifer (<96.9 %) in the family Rhizobiaceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria. However, phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA, recA, thrC and dnaK gene sequences showed distinct out-grouping from the recognized genera of the family Rhizobiaceae. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characters, strain MSSRFBL1(T) represents a novel species in a new genus in the family Rhizobiaceae for which the name Ciceribacter lividus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Ciceribacter lividus is MSSRFBL1(T) ( = DSM 25528(T) = KCTC 32403(T)).