The device for monitoring the knitwear (16') of a flatbed knitting machine for falling-off exhibits several support bodies (18) having in each case a feeling lever (17) which rests against the knitwear (16') and which is coupled to a switching arm (25). The switching arm (25) is constructed as a contactless contactor and is moved during an adjusting movement of the feeling lever (17), which is triggered when knitwear (16') has fallen off, through the contact range of an electric switching device, for example a light barrier or an ultrasonic barrier or through a magnetic field area into an ineffective end position so that a control signal can be triggered only during the adjusting movement of the switching arm (25) between its end positions.