A method for operating an injection-molding machine, including the steps: a) in a current injection-molding cycle, after an accepted-part reference injection-molding cycle learned in a learning phase: detecting a compound pressure change k1 relative to an accepted-part reference compound pressure pmasse, ref during at least part of an injection phase of the current injection-molding cycle by measuring a current compound pressure pmasse, act and comparing the current compound pressure pmasse,act with the accepted-part reference compound pressure pmasse,ref, b) determining a target mold internal pressure curve pwkz,soll (t) for a holding-pressure phase of the current injection-molding cycle, wherein for this purpose a mold internal pressure curve pwkz,ref (t) of the accepted-part reference injection-molding cycle is adjusted at least in dependence on the compound pressure change k1 detected in step a), and c) traveling the holding-pressure curve pmasse, Hld, act (t) of the current injection-molding cycle in such a way that an actual mold internal pressure curve pwkz,act (t) of the current injection-molding cycle runs at least more closely along the target mold internal pressure curve pwkz,soll (t) than a mold internal pressure curve pwkz,ref(t) that is unchanged in comparison with the accepted-part reference cycle.