An internal combustion engine has a fuel delivering device with a high-pressure pump which conveys fuel into a fuel reservoir, and a volume flow control valve that is assigned to the high-pressure pump. A control difference (FUP_DIF) is determined from a difference between a predefined fuel pressure (FUP_SP) and a detected fuel pressure (FUP_AV). The control difference (FUP_DIF) is fed to a controller that encompasses at least one integral portion (I_CTRL). A corrective value (COR) for an error value of a fuel flow rate is determined in accordance with the integral portion (I_CTRL) of the controller if a sum of the integral portion (I_CTRL) exceeds a given threshold value during a predefined mode of operation of the internal combustion engine. In addition, an actuating signal (PWM) for the volume flow control valve is generated according to a controller value (FUEL_MASS_FB_CTRL) and the corrective value (COR).