Method for operating a brake installation of a motor vehicle having a primary brake system (10, 20; 110) having • a master brake cylinder, which is actuatable by a vehicle driver by means of a brake pedal and which is connected to hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of a front axle and to hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of a rear axle, • an electrically controllable pressure provision device (292, 190) which is connected to the wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of the front axle and the wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of the rear axle, and • an electrically controllable pressure modulation device for setting wheel-specific brake pressures, having at least one inlet valve (152a-152d) for each of the wheel brakes (151a-151d), and having a pump-valve arrangement which is arranged hydraulically between the primary brake system (12, 20; 110) and the wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of the front axle, characterized in that the pump-valve arrangement comprises, for each wheel brake (151b, 151d) of the front axle, a first valve, arranged between the corresponding inlet valve of the primary brake system and the wheel brake, and an electrically activatable pump, with a suction port and a pressure port, wherein the pressure port is connected to the wheel brake, wherein, for each pump, a pressure medium reservoir chamber is provided in the pump-valve arrangement, and wherein, for the build-up of the pressure to be set by means of the pump-valve arrangement, pressure medium is drawn in from the pressure medium reservoir chambers, and conveyed into the wheel brakes of the front axle, by the pumps, and wherein, in the presence of a predetermined condition of the primary brake system and of an actuation of the master brake cylinder by the vehicle driver, • a build-up of wheel brake pressure at the wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of the front axle is performed by means of the pump-valve arrangement, wherein the pressure (P pump) set by means of the pump-valve arrangement is higher than the brake pressure in the master brake cylinder (P HZ), • whereas the brake pressure of the master brake cylinder (P HZ) prevails at the wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of the rear axle. • a master brake cylinder, which is actuatable by a vehicle driver by means of a brake pedal and which is connected to hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of a front axle and to hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of a rear axle, • an electrically controllable pressure provision device (292, 190) which is connected to the wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of the front axle and the wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of the rear axle, and • an electrically controllable pressure modulation device for setting wheel-specific brake pressures, having at least one inlet valve (152a-152d) for each of the wheel brakes (151a-151d), • a build-up of wheel brake pressure at the wheel brakes (151b, 151d) of the front axle is performed by means of the pump-valve arrangement, wherein the pressure (P pump) set by means of the pump-valve arrangement is higher than the brake pressure in the master brake cylinder (P HZ), • whereas the brake pressure of the master brake cylinder (P HZ) prevails at the wheel brakes (151a, 151c) of the rear axle.