An electric machine with a rotor and a stator, especially an electric motor or a generator, preferably for a power plant, wherein the stator has a winding with several winding bars which, in the area of an axial core face, are each connected via a phase connector bar to a terminal of the stator winding so as to be electrically conductive. Several phase connector bars extend between their ends in a ring segment manner along the circumference of the stator and rest internally and radially on at least one support. Several such supports are distributed along the circumference in the area of the core face. On at least one support, there is a phase connector bar between two stationary axial stops; with its inside, said phase connector bar is axially in contact with the first axial stop or with a spacer, and with its outside, it is axially in contact with the second axial stop or with a spacer. At least one pretensioning device is provided which uses axial spring force to press the phase connector bar against the corresponding axial stop and/or against the corresponding spacer so that contact is made.