Single crystals of poly[μ4-tartrato-κ6O1,O3:O1′:O2,O4:O4′-lead], [Pb(C4H4O6)]n, were grown in a gel medium. In comparison with the previous structure determination of this compound from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data [De Ridder et al. (2002). Acta Cryst. C58, m596–m598], the redetermination on the basis of single-crystal data reveals the absolute structure, all atoms with anisotropic displacement parameters and a much higher accuracy in terms of bond lengths and angles. It could be shown that a different space group or incorporation of water as reported for similarly gel-grown lead tartrate crystals is incorrect. In the structure, each Pb2+ cation is bonded to eight O atoms of five tartrate anions, while each tartrate anion links four Pb2+ cations. The resulting three-dimensional framework is stabilized by O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the OH groups of one tartrate anion and the carboxylate O atoms of adjacent anions.