A driver circuit is provided for lighting means, in particular for one or more LEDs, having an LLC circuit with an inverter which is clocked by means of at least two switches and is designed to supply a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer for transforming electrical energy from the primary winding to a secondary winding, and the lighting means can be supplied with current starting from the secondary winding, having a control unit which is designed to control the switch of the inverter after an activation of the driver circuit during a start phase, in such a way that after a single or after multiple alternating cycles of the switch, the cycling of the switch is suspended for the duration of at least one alternating cycling of the switch until a criterion for ending the start phase is satisfied.