A method and a device for closed-loop control of an electrode gap in a vacuum arc furnace subjects an electrode gap of a melting electrode from the surface of a melt material to closed-loop control as a function of a droplet short-circuit rate. For this purpose, a histogram of detected droplet short-circuits is created on the basis of at least one droplet short-circuit criterion. The histogram is subdivided into sub-areas, a characteristic sub-area of the histogram is selected for closed-loop control purposes. The electrode gap is subjected to closed-loop control on the basis of the droplet short-circuits which can be associated with the selected sub-area.