Regioselectivity in the palladium-catalysed allylic alkylation of 1-arylprop-2-enyl acetates [ArCH(OAc)CHCH₂] or (E)-3-phenylprop-2-enyl acetate (PhCHCHCH₂OAc) with sodium enolates of soft carbon nucleophiles is controlled by addition of a catalytic amount of lithium iodide to give lienar products [(E)-ArCHCHCH₂Nu] exclusively; their branch isomers [ArCH(Nu)CHCH₂] were not detected.