Disclosed is an internal combustion engine comprising a first and a second cylinder line, each of which is provided with a camshaft for the gas intake valves and the gas discharge valves as well as a mechanism for adjusting a valve overlap between the gas intake valves and the gas discharge vales. A lambda controller whose manipulated variable acts upon an actuator that is allocated to the respective cylinder line is associated with each cylinder line. Values of the manipulated controller variables are detected as non-valve-overlapping values of the two cylinder lines in an operating situation in which the valve overlap is so small that the same does not influence the manipulated controller variables while values of the manipulated controller variables are detected as valve-overlapping values of the two cylinder lines in another operating situation in which the valve overlap is so great that the same influences the manipulated controller variables. A corrective value is determined for the adjusting mechanism assigned to the first cylinder line and/or a corrective value is determined for the adjusting mechanism assigned to the second cylinder line in accordance with the valve-overlapping values and non-valve-overlapping values of the two cylinder lines. The adjusting mechanisms of the two cylinder lines are triggered according to the corrective values assigned thereto.