Diselenides are known precatalysts for catalytic oxidations. The use of these widely available compounds as catalysts for the oxidation of alcohols was investigated, still leaving many mechanistic questions to be answered. By using a range of analytical techniques, we found evidence for the unexpected involvement of seleninic anhydride in the catalytic mechanism. The activation time of the diselenide and its influence on the oxidation reaction itself was also investigated. On the basis of these findings, an improved protocol for the selective oxidation of activated alcohols was devised resulting in significantly decreased catalyst loadings (<1%).