Abstract: A method of detecting an abnormal load and controlling a servomotor in such an abnormal condition. The servomotor is controlled so that a load will not continuously act on a machine after the abnormal load is detected. When a load torque, detected by an observer, exceeds a reference value, a flag F1 is set to "1". In the next processing cycle, the flag F1 is "1" and a flag F2 is "0", so that a positional deviation A, having a direction opposite to the driving direction, is set in the error register, and the flag F2 is set to "1". In the succeeding processing cycles, a position feedback amount .theta. is subtracted from the error register to obtain a positional deviation, and the obtained positional deviation is used to execute a position and speed loop processing. The servomotor rotates in the opposite direction until the positional deviation A is reduced to "0" before it stops.