Abstract: A hydraulic cylinder, in particular a master cylinder for a hydraulic clutch actuation system for motor vehicles, has a housing having a cylinder wall, in which a piston is slidably received to seal off the pressure chamber, whereas the pressure chamber in a rest position of the piston is connected to an after-running region by equalization grooves of an after-running device. The cylinder wall of the housing is provided with profiled cut-outs on its piston-side end at least in a lower region in the installed position of the cylinder, which cut-outs each have an upper boundary surface which in the installed position of the cylinder rises up to the equalization grooves of the after-running device.