Abstract: An open-end spinning machine system containing a plurality of spinning units, the components of each unit including a spinning turbine, a breakup roller, a feed roller, a yarn extraction device and yarn wiping apparatus, is controlled during stopping and subsequent restarting by an automatic control system which is operated by switching members in such a manner that, during stopping of the system, the turbine, feed roller, yarn extraction device and winding device of each unit are first permitted to decelerate in unison, in a free rundown manner while the rotating speeds remain within the range permitting yarn spinning to continue, and these components are positively braked only when their speeds approach the lower limit of such range, while during restarting of the system, the yarn extraction device and the yarn winding device of each unit are caused to rotate through a selected distance in the direction opposite to their normal operating direction for feeding a fixed length of yarn back into the associated