diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 8bd5c7c9515..b52ad001a2e 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ you to bind keys to operate more similarly to the terminal.
 ---
 ** New user option 'kill-region-dwim'.
 This option, if non-nil, modifies the fall-back behavior of
-'kill-region' if no region is active, and will kill the last word
+'kill-region' ('C-w') if no region is active, and will kill the last word
 instead of raising an error.  Note that if you have disabled Transient
 Mark mode you might prefer to use 'unix-word-rubout', as this feature
 relies on there being an active region.
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 9fbd9bfb577..fcdf644d9d9 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -5825,9 +5825,9 @@ If set to `emacs-word', kill the last word as defined by the
 current major mode.
 If set to `unix-word', kill the last word in the style of a shell like
 Bash.  This ignores the major mode like `unix-word-rubout' (which see)."
-  :type '(choice (const :tag "Kill a word like `backward-kill-word'" emacs-word)
-                 (const :tag "Kill a word like Bash would" unix-word)
-                 (const :tag "Kill region even when inactive" nil))
+  :type '(choice (const :tag "Kill region even when inactive" nil)
+                 (const :tag "Kill a word like `backward-kill-word'" emacs-word)
+                 (const :tag "Kill a word like Bash would" unix-word))
   :group 'killing
   :version "31.1")
 
@@ -5865,7 +5865,7 @@ Supply two arguments, character positions BEG and END indicating the
   ;; Pass mark first, then point, because the order matters when
   ;; calling `kill-append'.
   (interactive (progn
-                 (let ((beg (mark))
+                 (let ((beg (mark kill-region-dwim))
                        (end (point)))
                    (cond
                     ((and kill-region-dwim (not (use-region-p)))
@@ -5888,10 +5888,12 @@ Supply two arguments, character positions BEG and END indicating the
                      ((filter-buffer-substring beg end 'delete)))))
 	(when string			;STRING is nil if BEG = END
 	  ;; Add that string to the kill ring, one way or another.
-	  (if (eq last-command 'kill-region)
+	  (if (and (not (memq region '(unix-word emacs-word)))
+		   (eq last-command 'kill-region))
 	      (kill-append string (< end beg))
 	    (kill-new string)))
-	(when (or string (eq last-command 'kill-region))
+	(when (and (not (memq region '(unix-word emacs-word)))
+		   (or string (eq last-command 'kill-region)))
 	  (setq this-command 'kill-region))
 	(setq deactivate-mark t)
 	nil)