A handheld, folded-path, laser rangefinder architecture and technique incorporating a single circuit board for mounting of both the laser emitting and detecting elements is disclosed. The architecture disclosed provides an efficient and low cost design for a laser rangefinder, and by eliminating the conventional provision of separate circuit boards for the laser transmitting and receiving elements, reduces the overall size of the unit and its cost of manufacture by concomitantly eliminating unnecessary interconnecting cables and the like.