Optical receiver circuit having a first, illuminable reception device for converting an optical signal into an analog electrical signal; a first preamplifier for amplifying the output signal of the first reception device; a postamplifier having a first input and a second input, the first input being supplied with the signal of the first reception device (said signal having been amplified in the first preamplifier) and the second input being supplied with a reference signal; an offset compensation circuit, which regulates the difference between the mean value of the electrical signal at the first input of the postamplifier and the reference signal at the second input of the postamplifier to a constant value; and having a signal detection device, which detects a control signal of the offset compensation circuit and carries out signal detection in a manner dependent on this signal. The invention provides signal detection in an optical receiver circuit, which manages with few additional components.