An apparatus for fastening a burner of a discharge lamp to a housing or plug portion including a sleeve clamped around an outer bulb of the burner, an annular base fastened to the housing or plug portion of the electronic ballast unit having tabs that are orientated in the direction of the center point of the annular base and are biased against the sleeve. The tabs are inclined at an angle through an opening of the base, so that in the mounted condition of the burner, they rest against the sleeve below a surface of the annular base.