An electro-optical distance meter includes a light source configured to emit light for distance measurement, a detector configured to receive the light and generate a distance measurement signal, a calculator configured to measure the distance from the distance measurement signal, an external optical path configured to guide the light from the light source to a target as measurement light, an internal optical path configured to guide the light from the light source directly to the detector as reference light, and a liquid shutter that can select one of the external and internal optical paths as the optical path through which the light from the light source travels by switching a region of light-blocking liquid.