Abstract Dihydromyrcenol is used as a hydrated masked form of citronellene in olefin cross- metathesis reactions in order to solve the selectivity problem that results from the presence of two double bonds in many terpenes. Several ruthenium catalysts are evaluated, with the best, M71-SIPr, utilized in the cross-metathesis of dihydromyrcenol with various olefins affording the expected products in good yields. It is shown that the masked double bond ...