We demonstrate a heterostructure Ni9S8/MoS2 hybrid with tight interface synthesized via an improved hydrothermal method. As compared to pure MoS2, the increased surface area and the shorten charge transport pathway in the layered hybrid significantly promote the photocatalytic efficiency for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In particularly, the optimized Ni9S8/MoS2 hybrid with 20 wt % Ni9S8 exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity with HER value of 406 mu molg(-1) h(-1), which is enhanced by 70% compared to that of pure MoS2 nanosheets (285.0 mu molg(-1)h(-1)). Moreover, the value is 4 times more than the commercial MoS2 (92.0 mu molg(-1)h(-1)), indicating the high potential of the hybrid in the catalytic fields.