A high-pressure gas-operated setting tool for driving nail-shaped fastening elements into hard constructional components and including a slide (73) displaceable in a guide housing (7) under action of a portion of the high-pressure gas, which is used for displacement of the drive piston (6) in the setting direction, against a biasing force of a spring (8) and having a pawl projecting into the axial projection of the drive piston (6), the pawl (78) displacing the drive piston upon the slide (73) being displaced by the spring (8) in a direction opposite to the setting direction.