The present invention relates to an electronic ballast for discharge lamps (LA) which have preheatable electrodes (E1, E2). The electronic ballast has a measuring apparatus (M), which is designed to measure, during the preheating process, a variable, which is correlated with the electrode temperature increased by the preheating, of at least one of the electrodes (E1, E2) of a connected discharge lamp (LA), and a control apparatus (C), which is designed to match the electrode temperature, during the preheating process, in response to the measurement by adjusting an operational parameter of the electronic ballast. Furthermore, the electronic ballast is designed to detect cross discharges or a sufficient operating temperature of one of the electrodes (E1, E2) and possibly to ignite the discharge.