Activation and regeneration procedures applied to a nickel-molybdenum on alumina catalyst, both fresh and spent, were tested by the hydrodesulfurization of thiophene. Characterization techniques used included temperature programmed reduction and oxidation (TPR, TPO), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The fresh catalyst was treated by sulfiding, reoxidation, and resulfiding. This sequence was found to be more effective than one sulfiding step, possibly because of the formation of a nickel molybdate phase during reoxidation. The spent catalyst could not be regenerated completely although its original surface properties were attained. The loss of activity of the spent catalysts was alluded by TPO to result from nickel-molybdenum segregation which probably happened because of the excessive heat from burning the coke present on the catalyst.