A catalyst support material and a catalyst system incorporating said support material along with a method of making the same is provided for use in applications in which the support material is exposed to sulfur-containing impurities. The catalyst support material generally comprises an inorganic oxide base material having a surface and pores of predetermined size; and a zirconium layer adapted to interact with the surface and sized to be received by the pores of the base material. The catalyst support material being prepared by applying a layer of a zirconium compound to the surface and pores of an inorganic oxide base material followed by calcination in order to convert the zirconium compound to a metal, a metal oxide, or a mixture thereof.