A handheld power tool includes a torque coupling adjustable by the operator, as well as a gear unit for transmitting a torque generated by a drive motor to a drive shaft. The gear unit is advantageously a planetary gear unit; the torque coupling being constructed in such a manner, that in response to slippage of the torque coupling, a coupling component follows a displacement path. The handheld power tool further includes a control unit and a sensor, the sensor monitoring the coupling component for a displacement and transmitting corresponding sensor signals to the control unit. The control unit is configured to control, in particular, switch off, the drive motor as a function of the sensor signals received. It is further provided that the control unit subject the received sensor signals to a plausibility check, in order to determine if actual slippage of the torque coupling is occurring.