Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine

A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a pressure accumulator, a high-pressure pump, a controllable actuator and a rotatably mounted camshaft with a longitudinal axis, wherein (a) the high-pressure pump has a cylinder chamber and a pump piston arranged movably in the cylinder chamber and which is at least indirectly supported on the camshaft and thereby influences a free volume of the cylinder chamber based on a rotation of the camshaft, (b) the cylinder chamber of the high-pressure pump is hydraulically coupled to a pressure accumulator at least indirectly to deliver the fluid into the pressure accumulator, and (c) the actuator is configured to drive the camshaft such that the camshaft rotates in a first direction or in an opposite second direction in a predefined angle range about the longitudinal axis, wherein the method comprises:

• during a predefined time period prior to an expected engine start, activating the high-pressure pump to adopt a self-priming operating state, and
• during the predefined time period, activating the actuator such that the camshaft rotates at least once in the first direction and at least once in the second direction in the predefined angle range about the longitudinal axis.