An image forming apparatus, comprising: a latent image bearing member having a surface which is rotated to bear an electrostatic latent image; a charging device configured to evenly charge the surface of the latent image bearing member; an irradiating device configured to irradiate a charged surface of the latent image bearing member with a light beam according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer to form a toner image on the charged surface of the latent image bearing member; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium; and a control unit configured to control the image forming apparatus to perform subsequent image formation in accordance with a subsequent image forming request when it is determined that the subsequent image forming request is present at a predetermined determination time after completion of previous image formation, and to control the image forming apparatus to shut down certain predetermined operations including at least rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member and application of a charging bias from the charging device and a developing bias from the developing device in accordance with a predetermined shutdown sequence with the rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member (3 set as the operation to be shut down last, when it is determined that the subsequent image forming request is not present at the predetermined determination time, characterized in that: the control unit is configured to continue a process to shut down the predetermined operations in accordance with the predetermined shutdown sequence until immediately before rotation of the surface of the latent image baring member is stopped when the subsequent image forming request is received during the shutdown sequence, and thereafter to control the image forming apparatus to start subsequent image formation in accordance with the subsequent image forming request without stopping rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member when the subsequent image forming request is received during the time between when the control unit determines that the subsequent image forming request is not present at the predetermined determination time and when a process to stop rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member is completed. a latent image bearing member having a surface which is rotated to bear an electrostatic latent image; a charging device configured to evenly charge the surface of the latent image bearing member; an irradiating device configured to irradiate a charged surface of the latent image bearing member with a light beam according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer to form a toner image on the charged surface of the latent image bearing member; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium; and a control unit configured to control the image forming apparatus to perform subsequent image formation in accordance with a subsequent image forming request when it is determined that the subsequent image forming request is present at a predetermined determination time after completion of previous image formation, and to control the image forming apparatus to shut down certain predetermined operations including at least rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member and application of a charging bias from the charging device and a developing bias from the developing device in accordance with a predetermined shutdown sequence with the rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member (3 set as the operation to be shut down last, when it is determined that the subsequent image forming request is not present at the predetermined determination time, characterized in that: the control unit is configured to continue a process to shut down the predetermined operations in accordance with the predetermined shutdown sequence until immediately before rotation of the surface of the latent image baring member is stopped when the subsequent image forming request is received during the shutdown sequence, and thereafter to control the image forming apparatus to start subsequent image formation in accordance with the subsequent image forming request without stopping rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member when the subsequent image forming request is received during the time between when the control unit determines that the subsequent image forming request is not present at the predetermined determination time and when a process to stop rotation of the surface of the latent image bearing member is completed.