diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 3b4453c7a8f..9d4d5bcd10c 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -5865,11 +5865,11 @@ kill-region
                  (let ((beg (mark))
                        (end (point)))
                    (cond
-                    ((and beg end (use-region-p))
-                     (list beg end 'region))
-                    (kill-region-dwim
+                    ((and kill-region-dwim (not (use-region-p)))
                      (list beg end kill-region-dwim))
-                    ((user-error "The mark is not set now, so there is no region"))))))
+                    ((not (or beg end))
+                     (user-error "The mark is not set now, so there is no region"))
+                    ((list beg end 'region))))))
 
   (condition-case nil
       (let ((string (cond