An electro-optical distance measuring device. Criteria are defined and stored which characterize a determined gesture for triggering the distance measurement, said gesture being carried out by a user using a test body that crosses the measuring light beam in an encoded manner. The analyzing and control unit is designed to carry out a measurement-triggering gesture mode in which reflected portions of the optical measuring light beam are continuously detected automatically and the continuously detected reflected portions are analyzed with respect to characteristic variables, the variables being dependent on a gesture that crosses the measuring light beam by means of a test body in an encoded manner. The characteristic variables are used to test whether the variables correspond to the defined criteria so that the gesture that is carried out by the user is identified as the gesture for triggering the distance measurement if the characteristic variables correspond to the criteria.