Enzymatic lignin activation may be an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of chemicals in the production of wood fibers composites. Most studies on enzymatic activation of lignin for improving the adhesion of lignocellulosic products have been carried out using laccases. In this work, the use of a versatile peroxidase (VP) from the white-rot fungus Bjerkandera sp. (anamorph R1) for activating Kraft lignin was studied. The effect of enzyme dosage, incubation time, and H2O2 addition profile on lignin activation was evaluated by quantifying the phenoxy radicals formed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Two alternative enzymatic systems based on the use of VP (a two-stage and an enzymatic cascade system) were also assayed. At optimal conditions (dose of 15 Ug-1 and continuous addition of H2O2 (5.24 μmolh-1) during 1 h) the content of phenoxy radicals was doubled as compared with an untreated control. Moreover, using the two-stage VP system, a lignin activation similar to that found at optimal conditions could be reached in a shorter time. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.