Chronic innate immune signaling in hematopoietic cells is widely described in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and innate immune pathway activation, predominantly via pattern recognition receptors, increases the risk of developing MDS. An inflammatory component to MDS has been reported for many years, but only recently has evidence supported a more direct role of chronic innate immune signaling and associated inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of MDS. Here we review recent findings and discuss relevant questions related to chronic immune response dysregulation in MDS.