Method for producing a flat steel product provided with an Al-based protective coating and having reduced susceptibility to absorption of hydrogen, comprising unit operations as follows: a) providing a flat steel product which in wt% consists of C: 0.1-0.4%, Si: 0.05-0.5%, Cr: 0.005-1.0%, Mn: 0.5-3.0%, B: 0.0005-0.01%, and also in each case optionally one or more of the alloy elements collected in the group "V, Ti, Nb, Al, Ni, Cu, Mo, W", with the proviso that the amounts of each optionally present alloy element are as follows: V: 0.001-0.2%, Ti: 0.001-0.1%, Nb: 0.001-0.1%, Al: 0.01-0.2%, Ni: 0.01-0.4%, Cu: 0.01-0.8%, Mo: 0.002-1.0%, W: 0.001-1.0%, and consists, as the balance, of iron and unavoidable impurities, with the unavoidable impurities including amounts of less than 0.1% P, of less than 0.05% S and of less than 0.01% N; b) coating the flat steel product with an anti-corrosion coating which consists of aluminium and unavoidable impurities and also optional alloy additions of, in wt%, in each case 3-15% Si, 2-5.5% Fe and/or in total 0.05-2% at least one alkaline earth metal and transition metal from the group "Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zr and Ti"; c) cold rolling the flat steel product provided with the anti-corrosion coating, in a rolling stand; d) generating an outer layer on the anti-corrosion layer, by applying a carrier liquid to the anti-corrosion layer of the flat steel product in the region of the entry, the roll nib or the exit of the rolling stand, the liquid comprising at least one alkaline earth or transition metal compound in the form of sulphate, nitrate, phosphate or oxide, with the outer layer thus generated on the anti-corrosion layer having an applied weight of 10-500 mg/m 2 and covering 20-100% of the surface of the anti-corrosion layer. a) providing a flat steel product which in wt% consists of C: 0.1-0.4%, Si: 0.05-0.5%, Cr: 0.005-1.0%, Mn: 0.5-3.0%, B: 0.0005-0.01%, and also in each case optionally one or more of the alloy elements collected in the group "V, Ti, Nb, Al, Ni, Cu, Mo, W", with the proviso that the amounts of each optionally present alloy element are as follows: V: 0.001-0.2%, Ti: 0.001-0.1%, Nb: 0.001-0.1%, Al: 0.01-0.2%, Ni: 0.01-0.4%, Cu: 0.01-0.8%, Mo: 0.002-1.0%, W: 0.001-1.0%, and consists, as the balance, of iron and unavoidable impurities, with the unavoidable impurities including amounts of less than 0.1% P, of less than 0.05% S and of less than 0.01% N; C: 0.1-0.4%, Si: 0.05-0.5%, Cr: 0.005-1.0%, Mn: 0.5-3.0%, B: 0.0005-0.01%, and also in each case optionally one or more of the alloy elements collected in the group "V, Ti, Nb, Al, Ni, Cu, Mo, W", with the proviso that the amounts of each optionally present alloy element are as follows: V: 0.001-0.2%, Ti: 0.001-0.1%, Nb: 0.001-0.1%, Al: 0.01-0.2%, Ni: 0.01-0.4%, Cu: 0.01-0.8%, Mo: 0.002-1.0%, W: 0.001-1.0%, and consists, as the balance, of iron and unavoidable impurities, with the unavoidable impurities including amounts of less than 0.1% P, of less than 0.05% S and of less than 0.01% N; V: 0.001-0.2%, Ti: 0.001-0.1%, Nb: 0.001-0.1%, Al: 0.01-0.2%, Ni: 0.01-0.4%, Cu: 0.01-0.8%, Mo: 0.002-1.0%, W: 0.001-1.0%, and consists, as the balance, of iron and unavoidable impurities, with the unavoidable impurities including amounts of less than 0.1% P, of less than 0.05% S and of less than 0.01% N; b) coating the flat steel product with an anti-corrosion coating which consists of aluminium and unavoidable impurities and also optional alloy additions of, in wt%, in each case 3-15% Si, 2-5.5% Fe and/or in total 0.05-2% at least one alkaline earth metal and transition metal from the group "Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zr and Ti"; c) cold rolling the flat steel product provided with the anti-corrosion coating, in a rolling stand; d) generating an outer layer on the anti-corrosion layer, by applying a carrier liquid to the anti-corrosion layer of the flat steel product in the region of the entry, the roll nib or the exit of the rolling stand, the liquid comprising at least one alkaline earth or transition metal compound in the form of sulphate, nitrate, phosphate or oxide, with the outer layer thus generated on the anti-corrosion layer having an applied weight of 10-500 mg/m 2 and covering 20-100% of the surface of the anti-corrosion layer.