A method and an arrangement for controlling the drive unit of a vehicle make possible the jolt-free enablement of a rapid actuating path (5) for the conversion of a desired value for an output quantity of the drive unit. The desired value for the output quantity of the drive unit is pregiven. Depending upon the operating state of the drive unit, an actual value for the output quantity is caused to track the desired value via a slow actuating path (1) or the rapid actuating path (5). With a transition from the slow actuating path (1) to the rapid actuating path (5), the desired value, starting from the wanted value, is first set equal to the actual value and thereafter is limited in its change and is again brought back to the wanted value.