A decarboxylative traceless linker strategy for the cleavage of resin-bound quinazolines has been developed using hydroxymethylpolystyrene (HMPS) resin derivatised as the ethyl oxalate. Methods for the solid phase synthesis of the linker, quinazoline formation, functionalisation and cleavage are described. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.