A method for operating a self-igniting internal combustion engine includes: introduction of a prespecified pre-injection quantity (PI) of a fuel into the internal combustion engine before and/or during an intermediate compression; determination of a pressure characteristic (PZV) in the internal combustion engine during the intermediate compression; prespecification of a target pressure characteristic (PZV0); comparison of the determined pressure characteristic (PZV) with the prespecified target pressure characteristic (PZV0); determination that no release of energy occurred during the intermediate compression, provided that the determined pressure characteristic (PZV) is lower than the target pressure characteristic (PZV0); and compensation of the non-occurrence of the energy release and its effect on a main combustion.