A method of converting oxygenate-containing feedstock to light olefins comprises charging a reactor with catalyst, feeding the feedstock into the reactor, contacting the feedstock with the catalyst and converting the feedstock to olefins while depositing byproducts on catalyst resulting in spent catalyst, regenerating the spent catalyst by combustion gases, and stripping the regenerated catalyst of gases entrained in the regenerating step. The stripping step is accomplished using nitrogen gas to strip the entrained gases from the regenerate catalyst. In one embodiment, regenerated catalyst is passed through a regenerated catalyst stripper before it is returned to the reactor.