A method operates an industrial control system, which includes at least one stationary control device and at least one control-technology-based manual operator-control instrument, which can be carried by an operator-control person. In at least one of the manual operator-control instruments, at least one data-technology-based identifier is resident, which represents at least the respective hardware version and the respective software status of the respective manual operator-control instrument. The mode of response of the respective control device or of the entire control system in relation to reliability or non-reliability of the establishment of a control-technology-based interaction, in relation to functional response during an active control-technology-based interaction and in relation to functional response in connection with a termination of a control-technology-based interaction between the respective control device and the manual operator-control instrument is determined or influenced in dependence on this data-technology-based identifier. In addition, a correspondingly constructed control system is specified.