Poly(butyl methacrylate) particles were prepared using an emulsion polymerization procedure with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) in place of the surfactant. The rate of polymerization was lower than in the equivalent sulphate surfactant stabilized emulsion polymerizations. Particle size and molecular weight distributions were unimodal and did not show any dependance on beta-CD concentration. However, the average molecular weight was, in all beta-CD containing polymerizations, significantly higher than in polymerizations in the absence of both surfactant and beta-CD. beta-CD had little effect on the behaviour of surfactant-containing systems. A tentative explanation, involving the enhancement of colloidal stability by poly(butyl methacrylate) included by beta-CD amphiphilic polymers, is proposed.