Baker et al. have recently studied the potential role of cocaine-induced alterations in accumbens cystine-glutamate transporter activity (which controls basal extracellular glutamate levels) during cocaine-induced relapse to drug seeking in rats. Their data provide new evidence that neuroadaptations induced by repeated exposure to cocaine and subsequent withdrawal can play a causal role in drug relapse. These data also suggest the cystine-glutamate transporter as a novel target for medication that could prevent cocaine relapse.