The present invention relates to a method for operating a switching converter which has input terminals for the application of an input voltage, output terminals for the provision of an output voltage, a series circuit comprising an inductive energy storage element and a switch driven in clocked fashion, said series circuit being coupled to the input terminals, and a rectifier circuit, which couples the inductive energy storage element to the output terminals, and in which a control signal dependent on the output voltage is generated. The method provides for operating the switching converter in a manner dependent on the magnetization duration of the inductive energy storage element during a drive period of the switch in the free-running or fixedly clocked operating state. The invention additionally relates to a drive circuit for driving a switch in a switching converter for carrying out this method.