Hydrocarbon feeds are upgraded by contacting a feed, at elevated temperature and in the presence of hydrogen, with a supported self-promoted catalyst prepared by heating a composite of support material and one or more catalyst precursor salts under oxygen-free conditions and in the presence of sulfur at a temperature of at least about 250.degree. C. The precursor salt or salts will be of the general formula (ML) (Mo.sub.y W.sub.1-y S.sub.4) wherein M comprisess one or more promoter metals selected from the group consisting essentially of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn and mixtures thereof, wherein y is any value ranging from 0 to 1 and wherein L is one or more neutral, nitrogen-containing ligands at least one of which is a chelating, polydentate ligand.