Initiation of mitotic DNA replication in eukaryotes requires conserved factors, including Cdc18/CDC6 and minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins. We show here that these proteins are not essential for meiotic DNA replication or subsequent meiotic divisions in fission yeast. In addition, vegetative replication checkpoint genes are not required for the arrest of meiotic divisions in response to pre-meiotic S-phase delays. Genes essential for other aspects of vegetative DNA replication, however, including polymerases and DNA ligase, are also required for pre-meiotic DNA synthesis. Our results indicate that the process of replication initiation and checkpoint control may be fundamentally different in mitotic and meiotic cells.