A method for operating an internal combustion engine and a device for executing the method which are based on the fact that a throttle valve is situated in the intake port and an exhaust emission control device is situated in the exhaust system. The air flow setpoint value for the throttle valve is changed following occurrence of a request for heating and/or regenerating the exhaust emission control device. A first diagnostics of the throttle valve provides an error signal in the event of a throttle valve error. When the error signal and the request are present, a switch is made in a characteristics map from a first or a second dataset to an additional dataset on the basis of which at least one control signal of the internal combustion engine is provided.