The role of bromine‐reactive common metallic impurities on the life and output of a quartz bromine lamp has been examined. A series of tests with one lamp type showed that impurities such as Fe, Ni, Cr, and Cu reacted with bromine and formed stable bromides that deposited at the cooler end sections of the quartz bulb. If the minimum temperature of this deposit zone was increased from ∼300 to ≳ 500 °C during lamp burning, these deposits became volatile and the regenerative cycle became functional for those cases where the metallic‐impurity–to–bromine ratio was high and had previously affected the cycle. The metallic impurities were identified in the deposits; their release was also monitored during lamp burning. A thermochemical interpretation of the results of the tests and analytical findings is presented.