A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake valve stop mechanism that is capable of changing an operating state of an intake valve between a valve working state and a closed-valve stopped state; an exhaust variable valve operating apparatus that is capable of changing a valve opening characteristic of an exhaust valve toward a target value with a response delay; fuel-cut operation execution means that executes a fuel-cut operation when a predetermined execution condition is established during operation of the internal combustion engine; intake valve stopping execution means that, at a time of execution of the fuel-cut operation, executes intake valve stopping control that changes the operating state of the intake valve from the valve working state to the closed-valve stopped state; valve-stopped-time exhaust valve control means that, at a time of execution of the intake valve stopping control, changes the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve so that an in-cylinder residual gas amount of gas that remains inside a cylinder when the exhaust valve is closed increases; fuel-cut operation reversion request detection means that detects a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation; valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means that, when a change of the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve is being performed by the valve-stopped-time exhaust valve control means in a case where a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation accompanied by the intake valve stopping control has been detected, changes the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve so that the in-cylinder residual gas amount decreases; exhaust valve control amount determination means that, at a time of execution of control by the valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means, determines whether or not the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve has been controlled until the valve opening characteristic becomes a control amount that makes the in-cylinder residual gas amount less than or equal to a predetermined value; and intake valve reversion prohibition means that, in a case where a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation accompanied by the intake valve stopping control has been detected, prohibits a change of the operating state of the intake valve from the closed-valve stopped state to the valve working state until it is determined that the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve has been controlled until the valve opening characteristic becomes the control amount by the valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means. an intake valve stop mechanism that is capable of changing an operating state of an intake valve between a valve working state and a closed-valve stopped state; an exhaust variable valve operating apparatus that is capable of changing a valve opening characteristic of an exhaust valve toward a target value with a response delay; fuel-cut operation execution means that executes a fuel-cut operation when a predetermined execution condition is established during operation of the internal combustion engine; intake valve stopping execution means that, at a time of execution of the fuel-cut operation, executes intake valve stopping control that changes the operating state of the intake valve from the valve working state to the closed-valve stopped state; valve-stopped-time exhaust valve control means that, at a time of execution of the intake valve stopping control, changes the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve so that an in-cylinder residual gas amount of gas that remains inside a cylinder when the exhaust valve is closed increases; fuel-cut operation reversion request detection means that detects a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation; valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means that, when a change of the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve is being performed by the valve-stopped-time exhaust valve control means in a case where a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation accompanied by the intake valve stopping control has been detected, changes the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve so that the in-cylinder residual gas amount decreases; exhaust valve control amount determination means that, at a time of execution of control by the valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means, determines whether or not the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve has been controlled until the valve opening characteristic becomes a control amount that makes the in-cylinder residual gas amount less than or equal to a predetermined value; and intake valve reversion prohibition means that, in a case where a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation accompanied by the intake valve stopping control has been detected, prohibits a change of the operating state of the intake valve from the closed-valve stopped state to the valve working state until it is determined that the valve opening characteristic of the exhaust valve has been controlled until the valve opening characteristic becomes the control amount by the valve-reversion-time exhaust valve control means.