PURPOSE: To improve restartability after an engine stop by stopping supply of fuel to scavenge residual fuel till a predetermined condition is established, when the engine is forcedly rotated for restarting it after generation of a rotation stop condition of the engine is detected.

CONSTITUTION: In an ECU100 during operation of an engine 10, output signals of a water temperature sensor 14, crank angle sensor 12 and a pressure sensor 8 are input to a CPU150. At the time of NO-judging with an engine stop generated by first judging whether or not an engine speed NE is 10rpm or more, supply of fuel thereafter is stopped by setting the valve open time TAU of an injector to zero. When the engine 10 is restarted after the engine stop, the supply of fuel is stopped during the time before the engine 10 is rotated up to 720° by a starter motor 16 during restarting, and the engine 10 is placed in a condition equal to that it is normally stopped by scavenging residual fuel in a cylinder.