A process for producing a piston (10, 110) for an internal combustion engine having a piston base body (11, 111) and a piston ring element (12, 112), whereby the piston base body (11, 111) has at least a piston shaft (15, 115) and at least a bottom area (27, 127) of a combustion cavity (21, 121), whereby the piston ring element (12, 112) has a piston head (19, 119), at least one wall area (28, 128) of the combustion cavity (21, 121), a circumferential top land (22, 122) and at least an encircling ring part (23, 123) provided with an annular groove, and whereby the piston base body (11, 111) and the piston ring element (12, 112) form a circumferential closed cooling duct (24, 124), characterized by the following process steps: (a) provision of a blank (11', 111', 211') of the piston base body (11, 111), whereby an outer circumferential joining surface (29, 129, 229) and an inner circumferential widened joining surface (31, 131, 231) in the direction of the bottom area (27, 127) of the combustion cavity (24, 124), as well as an encircling lower cooling duct part (24a, 124a, 224a) between the two joining surfaces (29, 31; 129,131; 229, 231) are premachined, (b) provision of a blank (12', 112', 212') of the piston ring element (12, 112), whereby an outer annular joining surface (32, 132, 232) and an inner annular joining surface (33, 133, 133) and an upper encircling cooling duct part (24b, 124b, 224b) between both joining surfaces (32, 33; 132, 133; 232, 233) are premachined, (c) joining of the blank (11', 111', 211) with the blank (12', 112', 212) on their joining surfaces (29, 129, 229; 31, 131, 231; 32, 132, 232; 33, 133, 232) to produce a piston blank (10', 110'), such that at least in the bottom region (27, 127) of the combustion cavity (24, 124) a portion (34, 134, 234) of the enlarged joining surface (31, 131, 231) of the blank (11', 111', 211) is left free, (d) post-processing and/or finishing of the piston blank (10', 110') to a piston (10, 110) while removing the partial area (34, 134, 234) of the enlarged joining surface (31, 131, 231). (a) provision of a blank (11', 111', 211') of the piston base body (11, 111), whereby an outer circumferential joining surface (29, 129, 229) and an inner circumferential widened joining surface (31, 131, 231) in the direction of the bottom area (27, 127) of the combustion cavity (24, 124), as well as an encircling lower cooling duct part (24a, 124a, 224a) between the two joining surfaces (29, 31; 129,131; 229, 231) are premachined, (b) provision of a blank (12', 112', 212') of the piston ring element (12, 112), whereby an outer annular joining surface (32, 132, 232) and an inner annular joining surface (33, 133, 133) and an upper encircling cooling duct part (24b, 124b, 224b) between both joining surfaces (32, 33; 132, 133; 232, 233) are premachined, (c) joining of the blank (11', 111', 211) with the blank (12', 112', 212) on their joining surfaces (29, 129, 229; 31, 131, 231; 32, 132, 232; 33, 133, 232) to produce a piston blank (10', 110'), such that at least in the bottom region (27, 127) of the combustion cavity (24, 124) a portion (34, 134, 234) of the enlarged joining surface (31, 131, 231) of the blank (11', 111', 211) is left free, (d) post-processing and/or finishing of the piston blank (10', 110') to a piston (10, 110) while removing the partial area (34, 134, 234) of the enlarged joining surface (31, 131, 231).