The c-Jun N-terminal kinase, JNK, is one of the mitogen-activated protein kinase superfamily members. JNK signaling pathway plays important roles in a variety of biological activities such as cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Post-translational modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO), termed as sumoylation, regulates multiple cellular and physiological processes. A very recent report in Development by Huang et al. establishes a link between sumoylation pathway and JNK pathway through the action of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase (Hipk), which advances our understanding of the JNK signaling regulation in Drosophila.