Abstract: In a hydraulic valve control arrangement particularly of an internal combustion engine wherein the valve has a valve stem by which it is supported so as to be slideable between a closed and an open position and first there are provided first spring means biasing the valve in the closed position and second spring means providing an opening force which is transmitted via a valve tappet and an end of the valve tappet is received in a cylinder which is engaged by the second spring means so as to form a hydraulic force transmitting structure to which hydraulic fluid can be admitted for tensioning the second spring means. The valve tappet has a control piston received in a control chamber to which pressurized fluid is admitted which holds the control piston in either of its open or closed valve end positions and a pressure space is arranged adjacent the closed valve end positions of the control piston to which pressurized fluid can be admitted for initiating opening of the valve.