diff --git a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
index 2f8a15a0b0b..e7a05a3556b 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
@@ -1245,9 +1245,11 @@ earlier revision (@code{log-view-diff-changeset}).  This shows the
 changes to all files made in that revision.
 
 @item w
-Copy the revision of the log entry at point, or all marked revisions, to
-the kill ring, as if you had used @kbd{M-w}
-(@code{log-view-copy-revision-as-kill}).
+Copy to the kill ring (@pxref{Kill Ring}) the revision ID of the log
+entry at point, as if you had used @kbd{M-w}
+(@code{log-view-copy-revision-as-kill}).  If several revisions are
+marked, the command copies to the kill ring the IDs of all of them,
+separated by spaces.
 
 @item @key{RET}
 In a compact-style log buffer (e.g., the one created by @kbd{C-x v L}),
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 96d85ea6b0d..8cabafd57cf 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -2395,8 +2395,10 @@ In addition, a new command 'U' removes all marks.
 
 +++
 *** New command 'w' in Log View mode.
-'w' now copies the revision of the log entry at point to the kill ring.
-If there are marked revisions, it copies those, instead.
+The new command 'log-view-copy-revision-as-kill', by default bound to
+'w' in Log View mode, copies to the kill ring the ID of the revision at
+point in the log entry.  If there are marked revisions, it copies the
+IDs of those, instead.
 
 ** Diff mode
 
diff --git a/lisp/vc/log-view.el b/lisp/vc/log-view.el
index ca84f4b7452..68ce4f1baa5 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/log-view.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/log-view.el
@@ -751,8 +751,8 @@ considered file(s)."
      fr to)))
 
 (defun log-view-copy-revision-as-kill ()
-  "Copy the revision at point to the kill ring.
-If there are marked revisions, use those, separated by spaces."
+  "Copy the ID of the revision at point to the kill ring.
+If there are marked revisions, copy the IDs of those, separated by spaces."
   (interactive)
   (let ((revisions (log-view-get-marked)))
     (if (length> revisions 1)