The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle brake system and to a vehicle brake system, wherein the vehicle brake system comprises at least one hydraulic vehicle brake (), having a brake caliper (), having a brake piston (), having a brake piston seal () which is assigned to the brake caliper () and which acts between the brake caliper () and brake piston (), having brake pads (), and having a brake disk (), in which method a hydraulic brake pressure acting on the brake piston () is built up in a manner dependent on a braking command. The brake pressure is furthermore held in a manner dependent on the braking command. If the braking command is withdrawn, the hydraulic brake pressure acting on the brake piston () is reduced to a hydraulic intermediate pressure, and the hydraulic intermediate pressure is held for a defined second period of time. The hydraulic brake pressure is subsequently reduced.
