Abstract: An internal combustion engine operating with exhaust gas recirculation and including an intake-tube-pressure-guided injection system, has an intake tube with a throttle valve, an exhaust pipe, a return conduit branching off from the exhaust pipe and discharging into the intake tube downstream of the throttle valve, an exhaust gas recirculation valve being disposed in the return conduit and having a valve stroke, an actuator influencing a degree of opening of the conduit for controlling an exhaust gas recirculation rate, and a stroke sensor detecting a degree of opening of the exhaust gas recirculation valve over its valve stroke for establishing an optimal exhaust gas recirculation rate, and taking the degree of opening of the exhaust gas recirculation valve into account in a calculation of an injection time for injection valves.