A high-pressure discharge lamp has an outer envelope (1) in which a discharge vessel (11) is arranged enclosing a discharge space (13) with an ionizable filling. The discharge vessel has two mutually opposed neck-shaped portions (2, 3) through which current supply conductors (4, 5) extend to a pair of electrodes (6, 7) in the discharge space. A lamp base (8) of electrically insulating material supports the discharge vessel. The lamp base also supports the outer envelope. The outer envelope with a volume equal to or less than 2 cc encloses the current supply conductors and is connected to the lamp base in a gas-tight manner. A getter (10) is provided in the outer envelope for pumping out residual nitrogen from the outer envelope after sealing off the discharge lamp prior to operation of the discharge lamp, the getter (10) comprising at least 2.5 mbar.ml nitrogen. Preferably, the getter comprises an alloy of zirconium and aluminum or of zirconium and cobalt.