To protect power transistors and similar electronic electronic control elements which have their main current paths serially connected to loads, one terminal of which is grounded, against short circuits within the loads and without substantial power loss in series sensing resistors, a resistor is connected in shunt with the main current path of the power electronic component, for example the emitter-collector path of a power resistor and a diode connected between this shunt-connected resistor, effectively at the junction of the load and the power semiconductor to the base of a driver transistor which controls the power semiconductor to apply the operating voltage at the junction to the base of the driver transistor so that the power transistor is controlled thereby to blocked condition if the voltage at the junction should drop from operating voltage, the diode, under normal operating condition, being blocked.