An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating an image on a recording material; a pressing member for forming a nip, with the image heating member, in which the recording material is nipped and conveyed; heating means for heating a part of the image heating member; drive means for rotationally driving the image heating member; contacting-and-separating means for contacting and separating said image heating member and said pressing member relative to each other; standby control means for heating said image heating member in a predetermined period, while said image heating member is rotated, in a state of separation between said image heating member and said pressing member during standby; and pressing operation control means for contacting said image heating member and said pressing member, wherein when an image forming signal is inputted in the predetermined period during the standby, said image heating member and said pressing member are contacted after heating of said image heating member is stopped and then rotation of said image heating member is stopped.