An electromagnetic pilot valve to control the flow of a fluid line, especially for fuel injection pumps, has a valve member (22) on a valve needle (21) which co-operates with a valve seat (23). The valve needle (21) is connected to an armature (29) of an electromagnet (25), where the armature (29) runs in air and is sealed against the fluid-conveying region of the valve in order to achieve high switching speeds. To damp as far as possible the recoil vibration occuring when the valve closes and which could cause it to open again, the connection between the armature (29) and the valve needle (21) takes the form of an elastic coupling (expanding rod 38) so arranged that, after the impact of the valve member (22) on the valve seat (23) on the closure of the valve, the armature (29) and the valve needle (21) vibrate in counter-phase.