Operating state circuit for controlling an inverter including half bridges (4a, 4b, 4c), each having switching devices (3a;...; 3f), which supplies an n-phase electric machine with an n-phase supply voltage via phase connections (5a, 5b, 5c) associated with the respective half bridges (4a, 4b, 4c), where n ≥ 1, including: an evaluation device which is connected to the phase connections (5a, 5b, 5c) of the inverter, and which is designed to detect phase currents at the phase connections (5a, 5b, 5c) of the inverter; and a control device which is coupled to the evaluation device and which is designed to switch the inverter from a short-circuit state to a freewheeling mode, wherein the evaluation device is designed to generate a freewheeling trigger signal and to output it to the control device, and wherein the control device is designed to transfer the respective switching devices (3a;...; 3f) of the half bridges (4a, 4b, 4c) to an open state after receiving the freewheeling trigger signal only if the respective detected phase current at the associated phase connection (5a, 5b, 5c) has a zero crossing or a current direction running from the inverter into the electric machine, characterized in that the evaluation device is connected to DC-voltage-side input terminals (2c, 2d) of the inverter, in that the evaluation device is designed to detect a DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E) of the inverter at the DC-voltage-side input terminals (2c, 2d) of the inverter, in that the control device is designed to switch the inverter from the short-circuit state to the freewheeling mode as a function of the detected DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E), and in that the evaluation device is designed to generate the freewheeling trigger signal and output it to the control device if the detected DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E) is less than an adjustable freewheeling threshold value (U M; U F). an evaluation device which is connected to the phase connections (5a, 5b, 5c) of the inverter, and which is designed to detect phase currents at the phase connections (5a, 5b, 5c) of the inverter; and a control device which is coupled to the evaluation device and which is designed to switch the inverter from a short-circuit state to a freewheeling mode, wherein the evaluation device is designed to generate a freewheeling trigger signal and to output it to the control device, and wherein the control device is designed to transfer the respective switching devices (3a;...; 3f) of the half bridges (4a, 4b, 4c) to an open state after receiving the freewheeling trigger signal only if the respective detected phase current at the associated phase connection (5a, 5b, 5c) has a zero crossing or a current direction running from the inverter into the electric machine, characterized in that the evaluation device is connected to DC-voltage-side input terminals (2c, 2d) of the inverter, in that the evaluation device is designed to detect a DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E) of the inverter at the DC-voltage-side input terminals (2c, 2d) of the inverter, in that the control device is designed to switch the inverter from the short-circuit state to the freewheeling mode as a function of the detected DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E), and in that the evaluation device is designed to generate the freewheeling trigger signal and output it to the control device if the detected DC-voltage-side input voltage (U E) is less than an adjustable freewheeling threshold value (U M; U F).