A last-minute David McCracken own goal handed Hibs a dramatic point at Easter Road.
With Dundee United looking like hanging on to record just their third win of the season, all of them away from home, Hibs' latest teenage sensation Kevin Thomson fired in a free-kick which McCracken, under pressure from Mathias Doumbe nodded past his own keeper.
But there was controversy surrounding the goal with the United players saying that the Hibs players should have put the ball out of play to allow treatment to midfielder Mark Wilson in the run-up to the award of the free-kick.
Controversial or not, a point was the least Hibs deserved after dominating most of the game.
They took the lead after 15 minutes when Scott Brown drifted infield before unleashing a superb 25-yard strike that gave Paul Gallacher no chance and they could have added two more goals in as many minutes, but Gallacher managed to turn a Derek Riordan free-kick and a close-range shot from the same player behind for corners.
United equalised after 28 minutes with one of their rare forays upfield. Barry Robson sent over a cross from the left but Doumbe's clearance fell to Andy McLaren, who beat Daniel Andersson from just inside the area.
Brown could have put Hibs ahead after 39 minutes but once again found Gallacher equal to the task and with Hibs failing to create as many chances after the interval there was always the chance they could be stung by a late United goal.
And with just eight minutes remaining McLaren beat Doumbe on the left, released Robson and the former Inverness player bore down on Andersson before coolly firing his side ahead.
That looked to have been enough to snatch an unlikely win for the visitors, but Hibs pressed hard for the equaliser and were rewarded with McCracken's piece of misfortune.