diff -durN xemacs-orig/src/callint.c xemacs/src/callint.c
--- xemacs-orig/src/callint.c	Sat Jan 19 11:09:59 2002
+++ xemacs/src/callint.c	Sat Jan 19 11:19:30 2002
@@ -46,11 +46,8 @@
 Lisp_Object Vcommand_debug_status, Qcommand_debug_status;
 Lisp_Object Qenable_recursive_minibuffers;
 
-#if 0 /* FSFmacs */
-/* Non-nil means treat the mark as active
-   even if mark_active is 0.  */
+/* Non-nil means treat the mark as active even if mark_active is 0.  */
 Lisp_Object Vmark_even_if_inactive;
-#endif
 
 #if 0 /* ill-conceived */
 /* FSF calls Qmouse_leave_buffer_hook at all sorts of random places,
@@ -185,7 +182,7 @@
 {
   Lisp_Object tem;
 
-  if (zmacs_regions && !zmacs_region_active_p)
+  if (zmacs_regions && !zmacs_region_active_p && NILP (Vmark_even_if_inactive))
     error ("The region is not active now");
 
   tem = Fmarker_buffer (current_buffer->mark);
@@ -1024,16 +1021,14 @@
 */ );
   Vcommand_debug_status = Qnil;
 
-#if 0 /* FSFmacs */
-  xxDEFVAR_LISP ("mark-even-if-inactive", &Vmark_even_if_inactive /*
+  DEFVAR_LISP ("mark-even-if-inactive", &Vmark_even_if_inactive /*
 *Non-nil means you can use the mark even when inactive.
-This option makes a difference in Transient Mark mode.
+This option makes a difference when `zmacs-regions' is t.
 When the option is non-nil, deactivation of the mark
 turns off region highlighting, but commands that use the mark
 behave as if the mark were still active.
 */ );
   Vmark_even_if_inactive = Qnil;
-#endif
 
 #if 0 /* Doesn't work and is totally ill-conceived anyway. */
   xxDEFVAR_LISP ("mouse-leave-buffer-hook", &Vmouse_leave_buffer_hook /*