To improve production rates and selectivities in a toluene disproportionation process utilizing a Ni-mordenite catalyst.

A method of forming benzene and xylene from a toluene feedstock comprises: flowing the feedstock across a bed of nickel-mordenite catalyst in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature sufficient to produce a predetermined desirable conversion rate of the feedstock into xylenes at a liquid hourly space velocity of 2hr-1 at an initial H:HC (hydrocarbon) molar ratio of 1:1; thereafter increasing the liquid hourly space velocity of the feedstock to 4hr-1 and simultaneously increasing the hydrogen feed to an H:HC molar ratio of 4:1; and additionally simultaneously increasing the temperature of the reaction sufficiently to maintain the predetermined desirable conversion rate, thereby maintaining the reaction at a pressure of 500 psig.