A new chelating diaryloxadiazole probe, oxazid displayed emission red shift and 16-fold emission enhancement upon binding with Zn2+ in buffered condition, while competing Cd2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and several potentially quenching metal ions posed no significant optical interferences. Experimental evidences indicated 1:1 complexation, and the computational work revealed formation of a stable octahedral geometry.