diff --git a/modules/actions/join.js b/modules/actions/join.js
index 9d85dfe6f..5d20ad40a 100644
--- a/modules/actions/join.js
+++ b/modules/actions/join.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { actionDeleteWay } from './delete_way';
 import { osmIsInterestingTag } from '../osm/tags';
 import { osmJoinWays } from '../osm/multipolygon';
 import { geoPathIntersections } from '../geo';
-import { utilArrayGroupBy, utilArrayIdentical, utilArrayIntersection } from '../util';
+import { utilArrayGroupBy, utilArrayIdentical, utilArrayIntersection, utilOldestID } from '../util';
 
 
 // Join ways at the end node they share.
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ export function actionJoin(ids) {
     var action = function(graph) {
         var ways = ids.map(graph.entity, graph);
 
+        // Prefer to keep an existing way.
+        // if there are multiple existing ways, keep the oldest one
+        // the oldest way is determined by the ID of the way.
+        var survivorID = utilOldestID(ways.map(way => way.id));
+
         // if any of the ways are sided (e.g. coastline, cliff, kerb)
         // sort them first so they establish the overall order - #6033
         ways.sort(function(a, b) {
@@ -38,17 +43,6 @@ export function actionJoin(ids) {
                 : 0;
         });
 
-        // Prefer to keep an existing way.
-        // if there are multiple existing ways, keep the oldest one
-        // the oldest way is determined by the ID of the way
-        const survivorID = (
-            ways
-                .filter((way) => !way.isNew())
-                .sort((a, b) => +a.osmId() - +b.osmId())[0] || ways[0]
-        ).id;
-
-
-
         var sequences = osmJoinWays(ways, graph);
         var joined = sequences[0];
 
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/join.js b/test/spec/actions/join.js
index b7974a3ec..f75be5814 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/join.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/join.js
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
         expect(graph.entity('-').tags).to.eql({'lanes:backward': 2});
     });
 
-    it('prefers to keep existing ways', function () {
+    it('keeps the way already in the database', function () {
         // a --> b ==> c ++> d
         // --- is new, === is existing, +++ is new
         // Expected result:
@@ -447,6 +447,60 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
         expect(graph.hasEntity('w-1')).to.be.undefined;
     });
 
+    it('keeps the oldest id - oldest first', function () {
+        var graph = iD.coreGraph([
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'a', loc: [0,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'b', loc: [2,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'c', loc: [4,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'd', loc: [6,0]}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w1', nodes: ['a', 'b']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w2', nodes: ['b', 'c']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w3', nodes: ['c', 'd']})
+        ]);
+
+        graph = iD.actionJoin(['w1', 'w2', 'w3'])(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.entity('w1').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']);
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w2')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w3')).to.be.undefined;
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the oldest id - oldest last', function () {
+        var graph = iD.coreGraph([
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'a', loc: [0,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'b', loc: [2,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'c', loc: [4,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'd', loc: [6,0]}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w3', nodes: ['a', 'b']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w2', nodes: ['b', 'c']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w1', nodes: ['c', 'd']})
+        ]);
+
+        graph = iD.actionJoin(['w3', 'w2', 'w1'])(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.entity('w1').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']);
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w2')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w3')).to.be.undefined;
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the oldest id - oldest middle', function () {
+        var graph = iD.coreGraph([
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'a', loc: [0,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'b', loc: [2,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'c', loc: [4,0]}),
+            iD.osmNode({id: 'd', loc: [6,0]}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w2', nodes: ['a', 'b']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w1', nodes: ['b', 'c']}),
+            iD.osmWay({id: 'w3', nodes: ['c', 'd']})
+        ]);
+
+        graph = iD.actionJoin(['w2', 'w1', 'w3'])(graph);
+
+        expect(graph.entity('w1').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']);
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w2')).to.be.undefined;
+        expect(graph.hasEntity('w3')).to.be.undefined;
+    });
+
     it('merges tags', function () {
         var graph = iD.coreGraph([
             iD.osmNode({id: 'a', loc: [0,0]}),
@@ -489,7 +543,7 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
         //            v v v
         //
         //  Expected result:
-        // a =====> b =====> c
+        // a -----> b -----> c
         //   v v v    v v v
         //
         var graph = iD.coreGraph([
@@ -500,8 +554,8 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
             iD.osmWay({id: '=', nodes: ['b', 'c'], tags: { natural: 'cliff' }})
         ]);
         graph = iD.actionJoin(['-', '='])(graph);
-        expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
-        expect(graph.entity('=').tags).to.eql({ natural: 'cliff' });
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
+        expect(graph.entity('-').tags).to.eql({ natural: 'cliff' });
     });
 
     it('preserves sidedness of start segment, contra-directional lines', function () {
@@ -529,7 +583,7 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
         //             v v v
         //
         //  Expected result:
-        // a <===== b <===== c
+        // a <----- b <----- c
         //    v v v    v v v
         //
         var graph = iD.coreGraph([
@@ -540,8 +594,8 @@ describe('iD.actionJoin', function () {
             iD.osmWay({id: '=', nodes: ['c', 'b'], tags: { natural: 'cliff' }})
         ]);
         graph = iD.actionJoin(['-', '='])(graph);
-        expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'b', 'a']);
-        expect(graph.entity('=').tags).to.eql({ natural: 'cliff' });
+        expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'b', 'a']);
+        expect(graph.entity('-').tags).to.eql({ natural: 'cliff' });
     });