A fluorogenic C. neoformans reporter strain with a robust expression of m-cherry expressed from a safe haven site in the genome.

•A second safe haven site (SH2) in the C. neoformans genome that is amenable for targeted heterologous DNA insertions.•A strain encoding mCherry at the SH2 site (KN99mCH) is highly fluorescent.•KN99mCH phenotypes are comparable to those of the parent KN99α strain.•KN99mCH is ideal for in vitro and in vivo host-pathogen interaction studies employing fluorescence detection.•C. neoformans marked at the SH2 locus will facilitate studies involving genetic crosses.