diff --git a/mkdocs/docs/configuration.md b/mkdocs/docs/configuration.md
index 54d33dd00e..852142aa1f 100644
--- a/mkdocs/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/mkdocs/docs/configuration.md
@@ -746,12 +746,12 @@ catalog:
 
 | Key                          | Example | Description                          |
 |------------------------------| ------- | ------------------------------------ |
-| hive.hive2-compatible        | true    | Using Hive 2.x compatibility mode    |
+| hive.hive2-compatible        | true    | Set to `true` when using a Hive 2.x metastore |
 | hive.kerberos-authentication | true    | Using authentication via Kerberos    |
 | hive.kerberos-service-name   | hive    | Kerberos service name (default hive) |
 | ugi                 | t-1234:secret                    | Hadoop UGI for Hive client.                                                                        |
 
-When using Hive 2.x, make sure to set the compatibility flag:
+Hive 3 and newer need no extra configuration. When using a Hive 2.x metastore, set the compatibility flag:
 
 ```yaml
 catalog:
diff --git a/pyiceberg/catalog/hive.py b/pyiceberg/catalog/hive.py
index 94213c8332..a6dcd8196e 100644
--- a/pyiceberg/catalog/hive.py
+++ b/pyiceberg/catalog/hive.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 from hive_metastore.ttypes import (
     AlreadyExistsException,
     CheckLockRequest,
+    DataOperationType,
     EnvironmentContext,
     FieldSchema,
     GetTableRequest,
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ def _create_hive_table(self, open_client: Client, hive_table: HiveTable) -> None
             raise TableAlreadyExistsError(f"Table {hive_table.dbName}.{hive_table.tableName} already exists") from e
 
     def _fetch_hive_table(self, open_client: Client, database_name: str, table_name: str) -> HiveTable:
-        # Hive 4.0.1 removed get_table, and Hive 2 does not have get_table_req
+        # Hive 4.0.1 removed get_table, and Hive 2.2 and older do not have get_table_req
         if self._hive2_compatible:
             return open_client.get_table(dbname=database_name, tbl_name=table_name)
         return open_client.get_table_req(GetTableRequest(dbName=database_name, tblName=table_name)).table
@@ -506,8 +507,16 @@ def load_view(self, identifier: str | Identifier) -> View:
         raise NotImplementedError
 
     def _create_lock_request(self, database_name: str, table_name: str) -> LockRequest:
+        # Iceberg commits are not executed within a Hive transaction, so the lock component uses operationType=NO_TXN.
+        # Setting it explicitly also matters for Hive 2.1, which rejects a lock component left at the default UNSET
+        # operation type.
         lock_component: LockComponent = LockComponent(
-            level=LockLevel.TABLE, type=LockType.EXCLUSIVE, dbname=database_name, tablename=table_name, isTransactional=True
+            level=LockLevel.TABLE,
+            type=LockType.EXCLUSIVE,
+            dbname=database_name,
+            tablename=table_name,
+            operationType=DataOperationType.NO_TXN,
+            isTransactional=True,
         )
 
         lock_request: LockRequest = LockRequest(component=[lock_component], user=getpass.getuser(), hostname=socket.gethostname())