Resting dendritic cells (DCs) induce tolerance of peripheral T cells that have escaped thymic negative selection and thus contribute significantly to protection against autoimmunity. We recently showed that CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important for maintaining the steady-state phenotype of DCs and their tolerizing capacity in vivo. We now provide evidence that DC activation in the absence of Tregs is a direct consequence of missing DC–Treg interactions rather than being secondary to generalized autoimmunity in Treg-less mice. We show that DCs that lack MHC class II and thus cannot make cognate interactions with CD4⁺ T cells are completely unable to induce peripheral CD8⁺ T-cell tolerance. Consequently, mice in which interactions between DC and CD4⁺ T cells are not possible develop spontaneous and fatal cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated autoimmunity.