A method for mitigating crack growth on the surface of stainless steel or other alloy components in a water-cooled nuclear reactor wherein a solution or suspension of a compound containing a noble metal is injected into the coolant water along with a reducing agent. The presence of the reducing agent will assist in better deposition of the noble metal, for example, palladium, on metal surfaces, thereby increasing the noble metal loading and also improving the tenacity with which the noble metal is bound onto the metal. The extent of noble metal doping is important in providing a better (lower) ECP response of the metal in the presence of a stoichiometric ratio of H.sub.2 to O.sub.2, which reduces the hydrogen demand considerably. The more tenacious the noble metal is bound to the metal surface, the longer its expected life will be, particularly under in-reactor Situations where the metal surfaces are subjected to a variety of hydrodynamic conditions.