A novel process for the regeneration of a solid adsorbent which is at least partially spent and has a reactive metal (e.g. silver) dispersed thereon is disclosed. The regeneration consists of a step whereby accumulated metal-containing reaction products formed during adsorptive service are removed by stripping the spent or partially spent adsorbent with a suitable stripping solution such as sodium thiosulfate. After detrimental metal-containing deposits are stripped, the adsorbent is then subjected to a reactivation step in which the regenerated adsorbent is contacted with a solution containing a reactive metal compound (e.g. silver nitrate). Reactivating the adsorbent therefore adds an incremental amount of the reactive metal onto the adsorbent. Regeneration of the adsorbent according to the two-step method of the present invention thus effectively prolongs its useful life. The present invention is particularly applicable to adsorbents used in processes involving the adsorption of iodine-containing compounds from contaminated feed streams.