In an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine, comprising a turbine rotor, which is rotatably housed in a rotor chamber through which exhaust gas coming from the internal combustion engine is conducted and wherein the flow around the turbine rotor is conditioned by means of a guide apparatus comprising a support ring with rotatably mounted guide vanes. For fixing a first distance (A) between the support ring and the contour sleeve, at least one spacer element with a longitudinal axis, an outer surface and a cross-sectional area is provided so as to have a streamlined shape forming in the exhaust gas flow only a relatively narrow wake line and the spacer element is so arranged that the wake line formed thereby extends essentially through a flow space between two adjacent guide vanes without disturbing the exhaust gas flow around these guide vanes.