Operating state circuit for controlling an inverter including half bridges , each having switching devices (3a;...; 3f), which supplies an n-phase electric machine with an n-phase supply voltage via phase connections associated with the respective half bridges , where n ≥ 1, including: an evaluation device which is connected to the phase connections of the inverter , and which is designed to detect phase currents at the phase connections 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 to an open state after receiving the freewheeling trigger signal only if the respective detected phase current at the associated phase connection 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 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 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 of the inverter , and which is designed to detect phase currents at the phase connections 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 to an open state after receiving the freewheeling trigger signal only if the respective detected phase current at the associated phase connection 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 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 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 ). <EOS>