diff --git a/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/algorithms/link_analysis/hits_alg.py b/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/algorithms/link_analysis/hits_alg.py
index c780ccfb80e..5adfff71928 100644
--- a/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/algorithms/link_analysis/hits_alg.py
+++ b/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/algorithms/link_analysis/hits_alg.py
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ def hits(G, max_iter=100, tol=1.0e-8, nstart=None, normalized=True):
         return {}, {}
     if nstart is not None:
         nstart = G._dict_to_nodearray(nstart, 0, np.float32)
+    if max_iter <= 0:
+        if nx.__version__[:3] <= "3.2":
+            raise ValueError("`maxiter` must be a positive integer.")
+        raise nx.PowerIterationFailedConvergence(max_iter)
     try:
         node_ids, hubs, authorities = plc.hits(
             resource_handle=plc.ResourceHandle(),
diff --git a/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/interface.py b/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/interface.py
index f30acb47356..e2a2a1c0872 100644
--- a/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/interface.py
+++ b/python/nx-cugraph/nx_cugraph/interface.py
@@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ def key(testpath):
         no_multigraph = "multigraphs not currently supported"
         louvain_different = "Louvain may be different due to RNG"
         no_string_dtype = "string edge values not currently supported"
-        different_power_iteration = (
-            "different behavior of power iteration convergence and/or exception"
-        )
 
         xfail = {
             key(
@@ -76,7 +73,7 @@ def key(testpath):
             ): "Power iteration failed (don't know why; networkx converges in 8 steps)",
             key(
                 "test_hits.py:TestHITS.test_hits_not_convergent"
-            ): different_power_iteration,
+            ): "HITS doesn't raise after failing to converge after max_iter iterations",
         }
 
         from packaging.version import parse