The kinetics of the nickel-catalyzed hydrogenation of 1-octene have been studied using nickel(II) acetate in combination with the ligand 1,3-bis(di(o-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)propane (o-MeO-dppp). The effects of temperature and dihydrogen pressure, as well as the influence of the nickel and substrate concentrations have been studied (T = 30-60 degreesC, p(H-2) = 30-60 bar, [Ni] = 0.35-2.81 mM, [1-octene] = 0.98-3.91 M, ligand/Ni = 1.1 in a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol). The kinetic study results in the surprisingly simple rate law r = k(cat)[Ni][1-octene]p(H-2). The kinetic data are consistent with a mechanism in which the terminating hydrogenolysis step of the nickel-alkyl complex is the rate-determining step of the catalytic cycle with all preceding steps at equilibrium. The first-order dependence on the substrate is confirmed by the results with other substrates, as the hydrogenation rate strongly depends on the nature of the substrate.