An object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine which makes it possible to reliably avoid an abnormal increase in in-cylinder pressure due to pre-ignition. The control apparatus of this invention controls an internal combustion engine including an injector that directly injects fuel into a cylinder. The control apparatus includes pre-ignition detection means that executes an operation to detect pre-ignition until a time of a crank angle θA, and injection instruction means that, at a time of a crank angle θB that is before the crank angle θA, sends to the injector an injection instruction to perform fuel injection that suppresses pre-ignition combustion. Preferably, the control apparatus includes energization stopping means that, when the pre-ignition detection means does not detect pre-ignition until the time of the crank angle θA, stops energization of the injector that is started by the injection instruction.