; Touch up docs for exchange-point-and-mark-highlight-region

2 files changed, 9 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index af7a5e38b73..f39daa112c7 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -484,8 +484,9 @@ modal editing packages.
 
 ** New user variable 'exchange-point-and-mark-highlight-region'.
 When set to nil, this modifies `exchange-point-and-mark' so that it doesn't
-activate mark when it is not already active.
-The default value is 't' which changes nothing to previous behavior.
+activate the mark if it is not already active.
+The default value is t, which retains the old behavior.
+This variable has no effect when Transient Mark mode is off.
 
 
 * Changes in Specialized Modes and Packages in Emacs 31.1
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index df8f8276812..08ea5e27ab8 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -7457,17 +7457,18 @@ Does not set point.  Does nothing if mark ring is empty."
 (defcustom exchange-point-and-mark-highlight-region t
   "Activate region when exchanging point and mark.
 
-When set to nil, this modifies `exchange-point-and-mark' so that it doesn't
-activate mark when it is not already active."
+When set to nil, this modifies `exchange-point-and-mark' so that it
+doesn't activate the mark if it is not already active.
+
+This variable has no effect when Transient Mark mode is off."
   :type 'boolean
   :group 'editing-basics
   :version "31.1")
 
 (defun exchange-point-and-mark (&optional arg)
   "Put the mark where point is now, and point where the mark is now.
-This command works even when the mark is not active,
-and it reactivates the mark unless
-`exchange-point-and-mark-highlight-region' is nil.
+This command works even when the mark is not active, and it reactivates
+the mark unless `exchange-point-and-mark-highlight-region' is nil.
 
 If Transient Mark mode is on, a prefix ARG deactivates the mark
 if it is active, and otherwise avoids reactivating it.  If