The invention relates to a cylinder-charge control method. According to said method, residual gas in the cylinder is recycled internally and is intermittently shunted in front of the inlet valve(s), by controlling the closure times (AS) of at least one outlet valve of the respective cylinder and by opening (EO1) at least one inlet valve in the vicinity of the upper response point (OT) of the piston and at least one inlet valve is opened in at least two chronologically separate phases (EO1, ES1, EO2, ES2) during a charge cycle in the cylinder. Said method optimizes the operation of the motor in the warm-up period in terms of consumption, pollution emission and smooth running.