A device for separating wet paint overspray from an exhaust air flow containing overspray particles is disclosed. The overspray particles pass into the exhaust air flow in an application region of a painting assembly and the device includes a separation device for separating the overspray from a part of the exhaust air flow, in which clogging of the separation device with wet paint overspray is substantially prevented during a cleaning operation and/or ingress of precoat material into the application region from the region of the separation device is substantially prevented during a precoating operation, the device includes at least one closing device, by means of which the flow path of the exhaust air flow from the application region to the separation device can be intermittently closed off at least partially, and at least one precoat feeding means discharges a precoat material into the exhaust air flow downstream of the closing device.