A transistor device includes a semiconductor body having a source region, a drift region, and a body region between the source region and the drift region. A source electrode is electrically coupled to the source region. A gate electrode adjacent the body region is dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. A field electrode adjacent the drift region is dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric and electrically coupled to one of the gate electrode and the source electrode. A rectifier element electrically couples the field electrode to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.