A drive circuit for activating a switch in a switching converter, which has output Terminals for providing an output voltage, and in which a feedback signal that varies with the output voltage is available. The drive circuit comprises: a capacitive storage element, a charging/discharging circuit connected to a first terminal of the capacitive storage element, to which at least one load signal is fed, that adopts at least a first and second state according to at least one control signal, and which is designed in such a way to charge the capacitive storage element cyclically in the first state up to a first limit value and to discharge it until it reaches a second limit value, and in the second state to only charge the capacitive storage element, a load signal generation circuit to which the feedback signal is fed and which produces at least one load signal, at least one operating mode circuit to which a charge state signal, which varies with the charge state of the capacitive storage element, and the first control signal are fed, and which is designed to set an initial operating state of the drive circuit (100) in accordance with the aforementioned input signals, an oscillator circuit to which the charge state signal is fed, and which provides an oscillating signal with a frequency that varies according to the charge state signal, a drive signal generation circuit to which the oscillating signal and the feedback signal are fed, and which provides the drive signal.