A method for controlling a setpoint charging pressure for a turbocharger includes determining a charge-based setpoint charging pressure on the basis of a charge of the internal combustion engine, sampling an actual charging pressure, determining a carried-along actual charging pressure on the basis of the actual charging pressure, determining an offset on the basis of the charge-based setpoint charging pressure, and adjusting, by open-loop control, the setpoint charging pressure to the charge-based setpoint charging pressure by a first-order timing element if the carried-along actual charging pressure exceeds a first value which is lower than the charge-based setpoint charging pressure by the offset.