A method is provided for operating an electrical steering system of an industrial truck. An assignment assigns a target value for a rotational position of the steering wheel to each rotational position of the steered wheel. An electrical steering drive motor is provided for the steered wheel such that the detected rotational movement of the steering wheel is converted into rotational movement according to a predetermined transmission factor. An absolute value of a rotational position of the steering wheel and the steered wheel is detected during travel of the industrial truck. If the detected absolute values are related to one another according to the assignment, and if a deviation is determined, a transmission factor is specified that differs from the predetermined transmission factor for the conversion of the detected rotational movement of the steering wheel into the rotational movement of the steered wheel such that the determined deviation is automatically counteracted during the further steering movement.