A system and method for recovering energy from gases of an internal combustion engine in conjunction with exhaust gas recirculation is described and illustrated, and in some embodiments includes an exhaust gas recirculation valve and an exhaust gas recirculation heat exchanger, with a working medium which undergoes a cyclic process being evaporated in the exhaust gas recirculation heat exchanger by hot exhaust gases, and with resulting steam being converted into mechanical or electrical energy which is available as additional energy. To improve heat recovery with little technical expenditure, an exhaust gas control valve can interact with the exhaust gas recirculation heat exchanger, and can control the mass flow of exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust gas recirculation heat exchanger constantly in all operating phases of the internal combustion engine, approximately in the vicinity of the performance limit of energy recovery.