To provide a controller for a solenoid valve driving the solenoid valve constituted as an intake valve or exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine for preventing exhaust gas from flowing back from an exhaust side to an intake side when an opening failure occurs in the solenoid valve.

When an out-of-step occurs in an exhaust valve at a time t0 and then it is detected at a time t1 a reset process is carried out for the valve thereafter, and an open command to all the other intake valves and exhaust valves in a same cylinder is ignored and they are maintained in their closed conditions. When the reset process is completed at a time t2. an open command to the intake valve at a time t3 just after the completion is ignored and a normal process is started from the open process of the exhaust valve at a time t4.