LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) is a serine protein kinase that regulates the actin cytoskeleton by phosphorylation and inactivation of actin depolymerizing factor cofilin. LIMK1 activity is regulated by the Rho-GTPases via their serine/threonine kinase effectors Rho-kinase and p21-activated kinases 1 and 4 that phosphorylate LIMK1 on threonine 508 in its activation loop. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the pathway leading to the stability of LIMK1, a protein with a half-life of 20 h. Because the half-life of kinase-dead LIMK1 is only 4 h, it is suggestive that trans- or auto-phosphorylation is responsible for the stabilization of LIMK1. Using known Hsp90 inhibitors, we have shown that the half-life of LIMK1 in cells depends on the presence of active Hsp90. Furthermore, endogenous LIMK1 coimmunoprecipitated with endogenous Hsp90 and this interaction promoted LIMK1 homodimer formation as seen by cross-linking experiments. Hsp90 binds LIMK1 via a recognition sequence within the LIMK1 kinase domain, homologous to that of ErbB-2. Mutation of a proline residue within this sequence to glutamic acid reduces its interaction with Hsp90, inhibits homodimer formation, and reduces its half-life to 4 h. These findings implicate Hsp90 in the stabilization of LIMK1 by promoting homodimer formation and transphosphorylation. Li, R., Soosairajah, J., Harari, D., Citri, A., Price, J., Ng, H. L., Morton, C. J., Parker, M. W., Yarden, Y., Bernard, O. Hsp90 increases LIM kinase activity by promoting its homo-dimerization.