The invention relates to an operational control device for a positive-displacement pump (14) which has a pump motor, having means for actuation (12), in particular setting the rotational speed, for the pump motor, state sensor means (20) for detecting an actual operating parameter, in particular operating pressure, of the positive-displacement pump, and operating mode means (18) which are connected in front of the actuating means for stipulating an operating mode of the positive-displacement pump. It is provided according to the invention that the operating mode means are configured in such a way that a first actuating mode for the pump motor is set by the actuating means below a first operating-parameter threshold value (P1), which first actuating mode brings about a constantly rising pump pressure in the direction of an operating-parameter setpoint value (P soll), in a variable manner, and, in particular, is dependent in terms of its increase behaviour of the pump pressure, on a detected operating-parameter change in a predefined time interval, and a second actuating mode which is different from the first actuating mode is set as normal operation to the operating-parameter setpoint value by the actuating means above the first operating-parameter threshold value, wherein the first operating-parameter threshold value (P1); is fixed or is calculated as a fraction of the operating-parameter setpoint value and/or a pump parameter which is correlated herewith.