A method of operating a respiratory-guided magnetic resonance imaging system with regard to triggering of magnetic resonance image acquisition, the magnetic resonance imaging system being configured for acquiring magnetic resonance images of a plurality of slices from at least a portion of a subject of interest over a plurality of breathing cycles of the subject of interest, and the magnetic resonance imaging system being connectable to a respiration monitoring device which is configured to provide an output signal whose level represents a respiration state of the subject of interest, the method comprising - a step of generating an interleaved acquisition scheme for acquiring within the plurality of breathing cycles at least one magnetic resonance image of each slice of the plurality of slices at each respiration state of a plurality of selected respiration states of the subject of interest, the triggering on the selected respiration states being based on predetermined threshold signal levels of the respiration monitoring device, - a step of commencing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, and, during executing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, - a step of adapting, in case of an occurrence of an irregularity in the breathing of the subject of interest in the output signal obtained by the respiration monitoring device in the course of executing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, at least one parameter of the interleaved acquisition scheme for advancing another acquiring of a magnetic resonance image of the interleaved acquisition scheme in order to reduce a total elapsed time for acquiring the magnetic resonance images of a plurality of slices from at least a portion of a subject of interest over a plurality of breathing cycles, wherein the at least one adapted parameter is at least one of - a next respiration state of the subject of interest to trigger on for acquiring at least one magnetic resonance image, - a radio frequency pulse sequence-inherent idle time, while still complying with SAR requirements based on a recorded accumulated time of waiting for triggering on the selected respiration states, and - the chronological order of at least one slice of the plurality of slices to be imaged of at least the portion of the subject of interest, - a step of halting execution of magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, and - a step of resuming execution of magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme using the adapted parameter. - a step of generating an interleaved acquisition scheme for acquiring within the plurality of breathing cycles at least one magnetic resonance image of each slice of the plurality of slices at each respiration state of a plurality of selected respiration states of the subject of interest, the triggering on the selected respiration states being based on predetermined threshold signal levels of the respiration monitoring device, - a step of commencing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, and, during executing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, - a step of adapting, in case of an occurrence of an irregularity in the breathing of the subject of interest in the output signal obtained by the respiration monitoring device in the course of executing magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, at least one parameter of the interleaved acquisition scheme for advancing another acquiring of a magnetic resonance image of the interleaved acquisition scheme in order to reduce a total elapsed time for acquiring the magnetic resonance images of a plurality of slices from at least a portion of a subject of interest over a plurality of breathing cycles, wherein the at least one adapted parameter is at least one of - a next respiration state of the subject of interest to trigger on for acquiring at least one magnetic resonance image, - a radio frequency pulse sequence-inherent idle time, while still complying with SAR requirements based on a recorded accumulated time of waiting for triggering on the selected respiration states, and - the chronological order of at least one slice of the plurality of slices to be imaged of at least the portion of the subject of interest, - a next respiration state of the subject of interest to trigger on for acquiring at least one magnetic resonance image, - a radio frequency pulse sequence-inherent idle time, while still complying with SAR requirements based on a recorded accumulated time of waiting for triggering on the selected respiration states, and - the chronological order of at least one slice of the plurality of slices to be imaged of at least the portion of the subject of interest, - a step of halting execution of magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme, and - a step of resuming execution of magnetic resonance image acquisition pursuant to the interleaved acquisition scheme using the adapted parameter.