Normally, gene targeting by homologous recombination occurs rarely during a transformation process since non-homologous recombination is predominant in filamentous fungi. In our previous researches, the average gene replacement frequency (GRF) in Monascus ruber M7 was as low as 15 %. To develop a highly efficient gene targeting system for M. ruber M7, two M. ruber M7 null mutants of ku70 (Mr Delta ku70) and ku80 (Mr Delta ku80) were constructed which had no apparent defects in the development including vegetative growth, colony phenotype, microscopic morphology and spore yield compared with M. ruber M7. In addition, the production of some significant secondary metabolites such as pigments and citrinin had no differences between the two disruptants and the wild-type strain. Further results revealed that the GRFs of triA (encoding a putative acetyltransferase) were 42.2 % and 61.5 % in the Mr Delta ku70 and Mr Delta ku80 strains, respectively, while it was only about 20 % in M. ruber M7. Furthermore, GRFs of these two disruptants at other loci (the pigE, fmdS genes in Mr Delta ku70 and the ku70 gene in Mr Delta ku80) were investigated, and the results indicated that GRFs in the Mr Delta ku70 strain and the Mr Delta ku80 strain were doubled and tripled compared with that in M. ruber M7, respectively. Therefore, the ku70 and ku80 null mutants of M. ruber M7, especially the ku80-deleted strain, will be excellent hosts for efficient gene targeting.