In a procedure to operate an internal combustion engine with an electrohydraulic valve control which comprises electrically activated oil control valves for hydraulic actuators for the actuation of charge-cycle valves, a motor control unit as well as an output stage unit, which is connected to the motor control unit via a data link, at least a limited operation of the internal combustion engine is made possible during a breakdown of the data bus between the motor control unit and the output stage unit, in that the output stage unit is transferred into an autonomous mode of operation during a breakdown of the data link to the motor control unit.