Key points Impaired uptake of glutamate builds up the extracellular level of this excitatory transmitter to trigger rhythmic neuronal bursting and delayed cell death in the brainstem motor nucleus hypoglossus. This process is the expression of the excitotoxicity that underlies motoneuron degeneration in diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affecting bulbar motoneurons. In a model of motoneuron excitotoxicity produced by pharmacological block of glutamate uptake in vitro, rhythmic bursting is suppressed by activation of neuronal nicotinic receptors with their conventional agonist nicotine. Emergence of bursting is facilitated by nicotinic receptor antagonists. Following excitotoxicity, nicotinic receptor activity decreases mitochondrial energy dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress and production of toxic radicals. Globally, these phenomena synergize to provide motoneuron protection. Nicotinic receptors may represent a novel target to contrast pathological overactivity of brainstem motoneurons and therefore to prevent their metabolic distress and death. Abstract Excitotoxicity is thought to be one of the early processes in the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) because high levels of glutamate have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of such patients due to dysfunctional uptake of this transmitter that gradually damages brainstem and spinal motoneurons. To explore potential mechanisms to arrest ALS onset, we used an established in vitro model of rat brainstem slice preparation in which excitotoxicity is induced by the glutamate uptake blocker dl‐threo‐β‐benzyloxyaspartate (TBOA). Because certain brain neurons may be neuroprotected via activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by nicotine, we investigated if nicotine could arrest excitotoxic damage to highly ALS‐vulnerable hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs). On 50% of patch‐clamped HMs, TBOA induced intense network bursts that were inhibited by 1–10 μm nicotine, whereas nAChR antagonists facilitated burst emergence in non‐burster cells. Furthermore, nicotine inhibited excitatory transmission and enhanced synaptic inhibition. Strong neuroprotection by nicotine prevented the HM loss observed after 4 h of TBOA exposure. This neuroprotective action was due to suppression of downstream effectors of neurotoxicity such as increased intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species, impaired energy metabolism and upregulated genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In addition, HMs surviving TBOA toxicity often expressed UDP‐glucose glycoprotein glucosyltransferase, a key element in repair of misfolded proteins: this phenomenon was absent after nicotine application, indicative of ER stress prevention. Our results suggest nAChRs to be potential targets for inhibiting excitotoxic damage of motoneurons at an early stage of the neurodegenerative process.