A method for determining the phase currents of an electric machine having a power converter, and a stator, the power converter having, for each phase, an upper branch having an upper switch and a lower branch having a lower switch, all the upper branches being connected to an upper DC voltage terminal and all the lower branches to a lower DC voltage terminal. The power converter is operated in an active rectification mode in which each upper switch is closed only as long as a phase voltage at the relevant upper switch is higher than a voltage at the upper DC voltage terminal, and each lower switch being closed only as long as a phase voltage at the relevant lower switch is lower than a voltage at the lower DC voltage terminal; phase branch currents being measured in all the lower branches.