A peculiar thermal behaviour of hydroxyallylpyridyl derivatives, likely associated to the weak acidity of the ‘picoline-type’ hydrogen atom and responsible for the formation of allyl inversion products, has been reported. The ‘mobility’ of the same hydrogen atom allowed the unprotected title compound to behave regioselectively as C-1, C-2 or C-3 carbon nucleophile depending on the thermal or base-promoted