An improved method which provides for an extended cycle length in catalytic lube dewaxing of residual lube oil feedstocks and easier catalyst regeneration. The method may incorporate catalytically dewaxing a feedstock in a fixed bed reactor with or without product recycle, or a series of reactors with interreactor separation of vapors from liquids. Improved performance is achieved by operating the reactor at a temperature between about 490.degree. and about 620.degree. F., employing a high activity crystalline zeolite catalyst having an alpha value between about 50 and about 900 based on the zeolite and a space velocity sufficiently low to produce a dewaxed effluent of desired pour point and to maintain an average catalyst aging rate of less than about 2.degree. F. per day. This relatively low temperature operation allows catalyst performance to be restored by simple hydrogen reactivation.