Method for operating a stepper motor by rotationally position-dependent commutation and energization of the coils of the motor, with chopped coil current pulses, wherein a radial overlap between a rotor and a stator coil of the motor is thereby detected and an enable signal (FSF) is set to enable energization of a next motor coil, in that the duration (t imp ) of the chopped coil current pulses falls below a predetermined reference pulse duration (tx), wherein a next motor coil is energized by generating a next step pulse (HST), characterized in that : - a first time duration between the setting of an enable signal (FSF) and the subsequent generation of a step pulse (HST) is detected, - a target current value (Iset) to be impressed in the coils of the motor is reduced towards a predetermined minimum coil target current value (Imin), or, with the same or only slightly reduced target current value (Iset), the speed and/or the acceleration of the motor and/or the motor load is correspondingly increased, if the first time duration exceeds a predetermined upper limit value (Dek), and/or - a target current value (Iset) to be impressed in the coils of the motor is increased towards a predetermined maximum coil target current value (Imax), or, with the same or only slightly increased target current value (Iset), the speed and/or the acceleration of the motor and/or the motor load is correspondingly reduced, if the first time duration falls below a predetermined lower limit value (Ink), - wherein the first time duration is determined by counting of counting pulses having a frequency which is higher by a predetermined multiplication factor than the frequency of the step pulses (HST) or the frequency of the enable signals (FSF), and the first time duration represents a torque reserve (R), the magnitude of which is directly proportional to the first time duration. - a first time duration between the setting of an enable signal (FSF) and the subsequent generation of a step pulse (HST) is detected, - a target current value (Iset) to be impressed in the coils of the motor is reduced towards a predetermined minimum coil target current value (Imin), or, with the same or only slightly reduced target current value (Iset), the speed and/or the acceleration of the motor and/or the motor load is correspondingly increased, if the first time duration exceeds a predetermined upper limit value (Dek), and/or - a target current value (Iset) to be impressed in the coils of the motor is increased towards a predetermined maximum coil target current value (Imax), or, with the same or only slightly increased target current value (Iset), the speed and/or the acceleration of the motor and/or the motor load is correspondingly reduced, if the first time duration falls below a predetermined lower limit value (Ink), - wherein the first time duration is determined by counting of counting pulses having a frequency which is higher by a predetermined multiplication factor than the frequency of the step pulses (HST) or the frequency of the enable signals (FSF), and the first time duration represents a torque reserve (R), the magnitude of which is directly proportional to the first time duration. <EOS>