Two yeast strains isolated from soil crusts in the Shapotou region of Tengger Desert (north-western China) were grouped in the genus Kurtzmanomyces based on morphological characteristics. rRNA gene sequence analyses (including the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer region) indicated that these two strains represented a novel species of the genus Kurtzmanomyces, for which the name Kurtzmanomyces shapotouensis sp. nov. is proposed (type strain: CPCC 300020(T) = DSM 26579(T) = CBS 12707(T)). The MycoBank number of the novel species is MB 804959.