An exhaust valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine with at least one exhaust valve in every engine cylinder includes a main rocker arm mounted on a rocker arm shaft and a secondary rocker arm arranged on the main rocker arm and mounted on the rocker arm shaft for the activation of an exhaust brake function. A spring device is so arranged as to act between a fixed point on the engine and the secondary rocker arm, in such a way that the latter rocker arm is caused by the spring force to engage with the cam element of the camshaft.