A combination of N-hydroxysuccinimide and p-toluenesulfonic acid is proposed as an efficient catalyst for the preparation of a great variety of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives by three-component condensation of aromatic isocyanides, aldehydes, and 2-aminopyridine. The advantages of this procedure are high yields of the target products and the absence of side reactions. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.