The invention relates to a door lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock. Said door lock is fitted with a drive unit (4, 5, 6) for a door lock element (3). Said drive unit (4, 5, 6) comprises at least one drive motor (4) and flexible drive means (6) that have a predefined length upon which said drive motor can act. According to the invention, the drive motor (4) deflects the drive means (6), the length of which remains predominantly constant, from their rest position into a functional position. As a result, the door lock element (3) that is connected to the drive means (6) is transferred into its desired functional position.