An auxiliary heating system for a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The auxiliary heating includes an emission control catalyst and a heat exchanger, integrated in the converter housing in front of and/or behind the catalyst, which provides the reaction heat released by the catalyst and the remaining heat of the exhaust gas to the heating of the passenger compartment. The heat generation may be increased by the injection of a fuel/air mixture before the catalyst and by using the catalyst as a catalytic burner and can be adapted to the heat requirements. The auxiliary heating of the invention prevents possible thermal damage of the catalyst during operation as a catalytic burner without many regulating elements by cooling the catalyst radiation. For this purpose, the heat exchanger is provided with an exchange surface which can freely exchange radiation with the radiant surface of the catalytic element.