A controller for a vehicle internal combustion engine (10) capable of being automatically stopped and restarted. When a restarting condition is satisfied after an automatic stopping condition is satisfied, the controller restarts the engine (10). When the engine (10) restarts, the controller executes fuel cutoff if the engine speed becomes higher than or equal to a fuel cutoff permission speed. The controller prohibits execution of the fuel cutoff when a manual transmission (32) is shifted to a gear other than neutral after the restarting condition is satisfied.