Method for switching from the freewheeling operating state of an electric machine having three phases and having three phase terminals (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) to a short-circuit operating state, having the steps of: providing a first switching element with a first freewheeling diode between a first phase terminal of the electric machine and a node; providing a second switching element with a second freewheeling diode between a second phase terminal of the electric machine and the node; providing a third switching element with a third freewheeling diode between a third phase terminal of the electric machine and the node; receiving a request for switching the operating state of the electric machine to the short-circuit operating state; closing the switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3), characterized in that closing the individual switching elements (1-2, 1-3, 1-1) is effected at least partly successively and the points in time of closing the individual switching elements (1-2, 1-3, 1-1) are predefined depending on a drive parameter of the electric machine, wherein switching from the freewheeling operating state to the short-circuit operating state takes place via an intermediate state to the all-phase short circuit, wherein the intermediate state is a partial-phase short circuit, in which two phase terminals (5-2, 5-3) are initially conductively connected to one another, wherein in the all-phase short circuit all three phase terminals (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) are conductively connected to one another, wherein short-circuiting two of the three phases results in the partial-phase short circuit and therefore in a closed oscillating two-phase system, wherein in order to form the two-phase system from a second and a third phase for closing the third switching element in the third phase, a point in time is chosen, at which no current flows through a first phase since the associated freewheeling diode is turned off at this point in time. providing a first switching element with a first freewheeling diode between a first phase terminal of the electric machine and a node; providing a second switching element with a second freewheeling diode between a second phase terminal of the electric machine and the node; providing a third switching element with a third freewheeling diode between a third phase terminal of the electric machine and the node; receiving a request for switching the operating state of the electric machine to the short-circuit operating state; closing the switching elements (1-1, 1-2, 1-3), characterized in that closing the individual switching elements (1-2, 1-3, 1-1) is effected at least partly successively and the points in time of closing the individual switching elements (1-2, 1-3, 1-1) are predefined depending on a drive parameter of the electric machine, wherein switching from the freewheeling operating state to the short-circuit operating state takes place via an intermediate state to the all-phase short circuit, wherein the intermediate state is a partial-phase short circuit, in which two phase terminals (5-2, 5-3) are initially conductively connected to one another, wherein in the all-phase short circuit all three phase terminals (5-1, 5-2, 5-3) are conductively connected to one another, wherein short-circuiting two of the three phases results in the partial-phase short circuit and therefore in a closed oscillating two-phase system, wherein in order to form the two-phase system from a second and a third phase for closing the third switching element in the third phase, a point in time is chosen, at which no current flows through a first phase since the associated freewheeling diode is turned off at this point in time.