The invention relates to a process for operating a test gas leak indicator (1) with a gas inlet (2) and a test gas-sensitive detector (4), in which all or part of a stream of gas containing the test gas reaching the inlet (2) is taken to the detector (4) in the event of a leak; in order to improve the sensitivity of the leakage detection, it is proposed that the stream of gas be preferably periodically modulated and the signal from the test gas detector (4) be processed in synchronism with the modulation of the gas flow.
