A flash lamp with a gas fill for suppressing self-starting includes an elongate discharge tube having two electrodes arranged in the discharge tube at opposite ends of the discharge tube. A starting electrode for applying a starting voltage is arranged outside the discharge tube, and the discharge tube has a length of at least 1000 mm and is filled with a gas fill. In order to suppress undesired self-starting, the discharge tube is filled with a gas mixture which contains at least one inert gas and at least one gas suppressing self-starting.