diff --git a/runtime/doc/lua.txt b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
index 6084a625ba..2424c73f8f 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/lua.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/lua.txt
@@ -1516,9 +1516,10 @@ region({bufnr}, {pos1}, {pos2}, {regtype}, {inclusive})         *vim.region()*
 
     Parameters: ~
       • {bufnr}      (integer) number of buffer
-      • {pos1}       integer[] (line, column) tuple marking beginning of
-                     region
-      • {pos2}       integer[] (line, column) tuple marking end of region
+      • {pos1}       integer[]|string start of region as a (line, column)
+                     tuple or string accepted by |getpos()|
+      • {pos2}       integer[]|string end of region as a (line, column) tuple
+                     or string accepted by |getpos()|
       • {regtype}    (string) type of selection, see |setreg()|
       • {inclusive}  (boolean) indicating whether column of pos2 is inclusive
 
diff --git a/runtime/doc/news.txt b/runtime/doc/news.txt
index 6e2a1b1d3f..a9a80ed002 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/news.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/news.txt
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ CHANGED FEATURES                                                 *news-changed*
 
 The following changes to existing APIs or features add new behavior.
 
-• ...
+• |vim.region()| can use a string accepted by |getpos()| as position.
 
 ==============================================================================
 REMOVED FEATURES                                                 *news-removed*
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/_editor.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/_editor.lua
index fa0980563a..c922ec93db 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/_editor.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/_editor.lua
@@ -402,8 +402,8 @@ end
 --- Input and output positions are (0,0)-indexed and indicate byte positions.
 ---
 ---@param bufnr integer number of buffer
----@param pos1 integer[] (line, column) tuple marking beginning of region
----@param pos2 integer[] (line, column) tuple marking end of region
+---@param pos1 integer[]|string start of region as a (line, column) tuple or string accepted by |getpos()|
+---@param pos2 integer[]|string end of region as a (line, column) tuple or string accepted by |getpos()|
 ---@param regtype string type of selection, see |setreg()|
 ---@param inclusive boolean indicating whether column of pos2 is inclusive
 ---@return table region Table of the form `{linenr = {startcol,endcol}}`.
@@ -414,6 +414,24 @@ function vim.region(bufnr, pos1, pos2, regtype, inclusive)
     vim.fn.bufload(bufnr)
   end
 
+  if type(pos1) == 'string' then
+    local pos = vim.fn.getpos(pos1)
+    pos1 = { pos[2] - 1, pos[3] - 1 + pos[4] }
+  end
+  if type(pos2) == 'string' then
+    local pos = vim.fn.getpos(pos2)
+    pos2 = { pos[2] - 1, pos[3] - 1 + pos[4] }
+  end
+
+  if pos1[1] > pos2[1] or (pos1[1] == pos2[1] and pos1[2] > pos2[2]) then
+    pos1, pos2 = pos2, pos1
+  end
+
+  -- getpos() may return {0,0,0,0}
+  if pos1[1] < 0 or pos1[2] < 0 then
+    return {}
+  end
+
   -- check that region falls within current buffer
   local buf_line_count = vim.api.nvim_buf_line_count(bufnr)
   pos1[1] = math.min(pos1[1], buf_line_count - 1)
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/highlight.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/highlight.lua
index d71a806ea8..a6cfcb730f 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/highlight.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/highlight.lua
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ M.priorities = {
 ---@param bufnr integer Buffer number to apply highlighting to
 ---@param ns integer Namespace to add highlight to
 ---@param higroup string Highlight group to use for highlighting
----@param start { [1]: integer, [2]: integer } Start position {line, col}
----@param finish { [1]: integer, [2]: integer } Finish position {line, col}
+---@param start integer[]|string Start of region as a (line, column) tuple or string accepted by |getpos()|
+---@param finish integer[]|string End of region as a (line, column) tuple or string accepted by |getpos()|
 ---@param opts table|nil Optional parameters
 --             - regtype type of range (see |setreg()|, default charwise)
 --             - inclusive boolean indicating whether the range is end-inclusive (default false)
@@ -27,11 +27,6 @@ function M.range(bufnr, ns, higroup, start, finish, opts)
   local inclusive = opts.inclusive or false
   local priority = opts.priority or M.priorities.user
 
-  -- sanity check
-  if start[2] < 0 or finish[1] < start[1] then
-    return
-  end
-
   local region = vim.region(bufnr, start, finish, regtype, inclusive)
   for linenr, cols in pairs(region) do
     local end_row
@@ -104,18 +99,12 @@ function M.on_yank(opts)
     yank_timer:close()
   end
 
-  local pos1 = vim.fn.getpos("'[")
-  local pos2 = vim.fn.getpos("']")
-
-  pos1 = { pos1[2] - 1, pos1[3] - 1 + pos1[4] }
-  pos2 = { pos2[2] - 1, pos2[3] - 1 + pos2[4] }
-
   M.range(
     bufnr,
     yank_ns,
     higroup,
-    pos1,
-    pos2,
+    "'[",
+    "']",
     { regtype = event.regtype, inclusive = event.inclusive, priority = M.priorities.user }
   )
 
diff --git a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
index 45d9263c0c..85e45788e8 100644
--- a/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/lua/vim_spec.lua
@@ -2297,6 +2297,10 @@ describe('lua stdlib', function()
       insert([[αα]])
       eq({0,5}, exec_lua[[ return vim.region(0,{0,0},{0,4},'3',true)[0] ]])
     end)
+    it('getpos() input', function()
+      insert('getpos')
+      eq({0,6}, exec_lua[[ return vim.region(0,{0,0},'.','v',true)[0] ]])
+    end)
   end)
 
   describe('vim.on_key', function()