A method for braking a rail vehicle with a brake system includes providing an open-loop and/or closed-loop control device having a wheel slide protection control unit for ensuring a predefined coefficient of adhesion between the wheels of the rail vehicle and the rail, in which brake demand signals of different origin are taken into account by the open-loop and/or closed-loop control device. A slide protection function of the wheel slide protection control unit is deactivated for braking that is free of slide protection when at least two brake demand signals having different origin and having a brake demand which exceeds a specified deceleration limit, are present at the same time. A corresponding open-loop and/or closed-loop control device for a brake system and such a brake system are also provided.