To segregate accurately during meiosis, homologous chromosomes in most species must recombine. Very small chromosomes would risk missegregation if recombination were randomly distributed, so the double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate recombination are not haphazard. How this nonrandomness is controlled is not understood. Here we demonstrate that Saccharomyces cerevisiae integrates multiple, temporally distinct pathways to regulate chromosomal binding of pro-DSB factors Rec114 and Mer2, thereby controlling duration of a DSB-competent state. Homologous chromosome engagement regulates Rec114/Mer2 dissociation late in prophase, whereas replication timing and proximity to centromeres or telomeres influence timing and amount of Rec114/Mer2 accumulation early. A distinct early mechanism boosts Rec114/Mer2 binding quickly to high levels specifically on the shortest chromosomes, dependent on chromosome axis proteins and subject to selection pressure to maintain hyperrecombinogenic properties of these chromosomes. Thus, an organism’s karyotype and its attendant risk of meiotic missegregation influence the shape and evolution of its recombination landscape. Overall design: Sixty samples total: 3 time points (each time points contains ChIP and input samples) from Rec114-myc wild type, zip3, hop1, red1, rec8, hop1 red1, hop1 red1 rec8 strains, strains with reciprocal translocation (between chr1 and chr4, or chr8 and chr9) in S. cerevisiae, and Rec114-myc wild type in S. mikatae.