A self-propelled harvesting machine includes a header, a hydraulic adjusting mechanism for adjusting the cutting height of the header, a height sensor for detecting the cutting height, a pressure sensor for detecting the hydraulic pressure at the adjusting mechanism and a control unit for actuating the adjusting mechanism on the basis of values measured by the height sensor and the pressure sensor. The control unit has a first control loop for generating a height-correction signal (hkorr) on the basis of the actual cutting height (hist) detected by the height sensor (10) and a setpoint cutting height (hsoll) and, a second control loop for regulating pressure at the adjusting mechanism, the setpoint value of which follows changes in the height-correction signal.
