The invention relates to a vane pump with a rotor which receives vanes, with two pressure plates (17) which bear sealingly on the rotor and of which one is arranged on a delivery side of the vane pump and one on the opposite side, and with a contour ring surrounding the vanes and forming two suction and discharge regions, at least one of the two pressure plates being provided with inlet and outlet orifices (53, 59, 63a, b) which make a fluid connection between a discharge region and an undervane region. The invention is distinguished in that the pressure plate (17.2) located opposite the delivery side has an orifice, which makes a fluid connection between a discharge region and a pressure space (61) partially delimited by this pressure plate (17.2), and seals off the pressure space (61) relative to the other discharge region.