The performance, in thiophene HDS, of a CoMo/Al2O3 catalyst was successfully improved through chemical modification of its oxidic precursor by impregnation with 1,5-pentanediol solution. The gas phase activation with a H2/H2S mixture was followed by thermogravimetric analysis coupled with a rapid chromatograph; the catalysts were characterized at different steps of the activation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It appeared that the addition of the organic agent retards the sulfidation of the supported metals, leading to a simultaneous sulfidation of Co and Mo atoms. This induces the formation of smaller MoS2 slabs and thus an increase in the number of active CoMoS sites, directly correlated with the better HDS performance of the modified solid. The role of 1,5-pentanediol is likely to inhibit, at low temperature, the adsorption of H2S on the solid and thus the sulfidation of the supported metals.