A method and a mobile station for controlling reception of data packets in a receiving unit of a mobile station in a mobile radio system. The receiving unit can in each case be switched during predetermined time frames to receive data packets to be detected from base stations, in which case a plurality of predetermined time frames are each assigned to receive data packets from a specific base station. The base station transmits characteristic data packets at a predetermined time interval before the data packets to be detected. The receiving unit is also switched to receive characteristic data packets from the respective base station during the predetermined time frames in which it is switched to receive data packets to be detected. If it does not receive either a data packet to be detected or a characteristic data packet from the respective base station in a predetermined time frame, the receiving unit is not switched to receive data packets from this base station during the next predetermined time frame which is assigned to this base station because no data packet to be detected from this base station can occur.