Enantioselective hydrogenation of 4-oxoisophorone 1. catalysed by BINAP-Ru(II) complexes, gives the corresponding saturated diketone 2 in 80% chemical yield and 50% enantiomeric excess. By repeated crystallisation from petroleum ether/dichloromethane 4/1 the diketone 2 is obtained optically pure in 25% total yield. The monoalcohol 3 is formed as a byproduct of the hydrogenation. The formation of 3 can be suppressed by using the monomethyl-enol ether 4 as a substrate. Catalytic hydrogenation of 4 in methanol gives exclusively the dimethylketal 5, which upon acidic hydrolysis is transformed into the diketone 2 in 50% ee.