More significantly the result heaped maximum pressure on Aberdeen in the race for a UEFA Cup spot.
Michal Pospisil and Andrew Driver were the scorers but an equally influential figure was visiting keeper Andrew McNeil who gifted Hearts their second goal with the kind of schoolboy error which Hibs shot-stoppers seem to specialise in.
Any latecomers would have missed the opening goal after barely 30 seconds as Pospisil pounced on a poor clearance and held off Rob Jones and Shelton Martis to find the far corner with his left foot.
Hibs roared back and Steven Fletcher wasted a free header before Driver's deep cross almost found Roman Bednar sliding in at the back post.
It was end-to-end stuff and, after McNeil had saved an angled Pospisil effort, Damon Gray shot wide for Hibs and Christophe Berra made a crucial block to deny Fletcher.
McNeil showed his ability with two excellent saves from Bednar but promptly undid the good work by somehow misjudging a simple catch which allowed Driver to nip in and finish.
He partly redeemed himself with an acrobatic stop from Laryea Kingston's free-kick and, from the corner that followed, Berra rattled the crossbar with a header.
Hibs improved after the break but substitute Ivan Sproule volleyed over from close range and Hearts keeper Craig Gordon then made a typically outstanding save to push away a free-kick from another sub Merouane Zemmama.