A soft-start circuit for a power converter including a switch controlled to cause the soft-start interval for the converter to be terminated when a predetermined condition is fulfilled. The predetermined condition is preferably the output voltage of the converter stabilizing at its normal operational level. The soft-start circuit detects when the predetermined condition is fulfilled and enables the converter to more rapidly recover after the initiation of a soft-start. In a preferred embodiment, the soft-start circuit includes a protection circuit for adjusting the soft-start voltage linearly as a function of the duration and magnitude of an overcurrent condition at the output so as to provide a scaled level of protection for the converter.