A hydraulic excavator comprising: an engine; a hydraulic pump driven by the engine; a multi-joint type work implement(lA); a plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7) driving the work implement by a hydraulic working fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump; a plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) outputting operation signals to the plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7); and a controller which when excavation operation is input from an operator via the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b), performs area limiting control to control the plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7) such that an operational range of the work implement(lA) is limited to an area on a predetermined target surface and an area above the predetermined target surface, the hydraulic excavator further comprises a switching device alternatively selecting between a permission position where execution of the area limiting control by the controller is permitted and a prohibition position where execution of the area limiting control is prohibited, characterized in that the controller is equipped with an engine control section which when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from a point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(la, 1b) have attained a neutral state, performs low engine speed control to make an engine speed of the engine a low engine speed that is lower than a control engine speed, in a case where the switching device is switched to the prohibition position, the engine control section executes the low engine speed control when the predetermined period of time has elapsed from the point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) have attained a neutral state, and in a case where the switching device is switched to the permission position, the engine control section does not execute the low engine speed control even when the predetermined period of time has elapsed from the point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) have attained a neutral state. an engine; a hydraulic pump driven by the engine; a multi-joint type work implement(lA); a plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7) driving the work implement by a hydraulic working fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump; a plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) outputting operation signals to the plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7); and a controller which when excavation operation is input from an operator via the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b), performs area limiting control to control the plurality of hydraulic actuators(5, 6, 7) such that an operational range of the work implement(lA) is limited to an area on a predetermined target surface and an area above the predetermined target surface, the hydraulic excavator further comprises a switching device alternatively selecting between a permission position where execution of the area limiting control by the controller is permitted and a prohibition position where execution of the area limiting control is prohibited, characterized in that the controller is equipped with an engine control section which when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from a point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(la, 1b) have attained a neutral state, performs low engine speed control to make an engine speed of the engine a low engine speed that is lower than a control engine speed, in a case where the switching device is switched to the prohibition position, the engine control section executes the low engine speed control when the predetermined period of time has elapsed from the point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) have attained a neutral state, and in a case where the switching device is switched to the permission position, the engine control section does not execute the low engine speed control even when the predetermined period of time has elapsed from the point in time when all the plurality of operation levers(1a, 1b) have attained a neutral state.