A control method for a fluid ejection device and a fluid ejection device reliably eliminate dropped dots while reducing consumption of ink droplets ejected from the nozzles. A fluid ejection device that performs at least one of a cleaning operation that suctions fluid from the nozzles and a wiping operation that wipes the nozzle surface when dropped dots occur determines if an elimination history of removing dropped dots by the wiping operation is stored when dropped dots are detected as a result of testing for dropped dots and determining if dropped dots occur. When a history of eliminating dropped dots by means of a wiping operation is not stored, the fluid ejection device performs the wiping operation. When a history of eliminating dropped dots by means of a wiping operation remains in memory, the cleaning operation is performed without the wiping operation.