Index: pym/portage.py
===================================================================
--- pym/portage.py	(revision 2823)
+++ pym/portage.py	(working copy)
@@ -2429,6 +2429,13 @@
 		mysettings.reset(use_cache=use_cache)
 	mysettings.setcpv(mycpv,use_cache=use_cache)
 
+	if tree=="vartree":
+		mysettings["PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV"] = pkg_dir+"/environment"
+	elif tree=="bintree":
+		mysettings["PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV"] = pkg_dir+"/environment.bz2"
+	else: # porttree
+		mysettings["PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV"] = "no"
+	
 	validcommands = ["help","clean","prerm","postrm","preinst","postinst",
 	                "config","setup","depend","fetch","digest",
 	                "unpack","compile","test","install","rpm","qmerge","merge",
@@ -2462,7 +2469,6 @@
 	mysettings["FILESDIR"] = pkg_dir+"/files"
 	mysettings["PF"]       = mypv
 
-	mysettings["ECLASSDIR"]   = mysettings["PORTDIR"]+"/eclass"
 	mysettings["SANDBOX_LOG"] = mycpv.replace("/", "_-_")
 
 	mysettings["PROFILE_PATHS"] = string.join(mysettings.profiles,"\n")+"\n"+CUSTOM_PROFILE_PATH
Index: bin/ebuild.sh
===================================================================
--- bin/ebuild.sh	(revision 2823)
+++ bin/ebuild.sh	(working copy)
@@ -674,6 +674,7 @@
 }
 
 dyn_setup() {
+	[[ -n ${GLOBAL_ELIBS} ]] && elib ${GLOBAL_ELIBS}
 	[ "$(type -t pre_pkg_setup)" == "function" ] && pre_pkg_setup
 	pkg_setup
 	[ "$(type -t post_pkg_setup)" == "function" ] && post_pkg_setup
@@ -1550,6 +1551,34 @@
 	debug-print "now in section $*"
 }
 
+elib() {
+	# we're called in global scope: postpone execution until just before pre_pkg_setup
+	if [[ ${FUNCNAME[1]} == "source" ]] && \
+		[[ ${BASH_SOURCE[1]%.ebuild} != ${BASH_SOURCE[1]} ]]; then 
+		GLOBAL_ELIBS=${@}
+		return
+	fi
+	
+	local location
+	while [ "$1" ]; do
+		if ! hasq ${1} ${LOADED_ELIBS} ; then
+			location="${PORTDIR}/include/elib/${1}.eclass"
+			if [[ -n ${PORTDIR_OVERLAY} ]]; then
+				local overlay
+				for overlay in ${PORTDIR_OVERLAY}; do
+					olocation="${overlay}/include/elib/${1}.eclass"
+					if [[ -e ${olocation} ]]; then
+						location="${olocation}"
+					fi
+				done
+			fi	
+			source ${location} || die "elib: sourcing ${location} failed"
+			LOADED_ELIBS="${LOADED_ELIBS} ${1}"
+		fi
+		shift
+	done
+}
+
 # Sources all eclasses in parameters
 declare -ix ECLASS_DEPTH=0
 inherit() {
@@ -1559,6 +1588,7 @@
 	fi
 
 	local location
+	local eclassdir
 	local PECLASS
 
 	local B_IUSE
@@ -1566,7 +1596,13 @@
 	local B_RDEPEND
 	local B_PDEPEND
 	while [ "$1" ]; do
-		location="${ECLASSDIR}/${1}.eclass"
+		if [[ "${1/\/}" == "${1}" ]] ; then
+			eclassdir="eclass"
+		else
+			eclassdir="include/eclass"
+		fi
+		
+		location="${PORTDIR}/${eclassdir}/${1}.eclass"
 
 		# PECLASS is used to restore the ECLASS var after recursion.
 		PECLASS="$ECLASS"
@@ -1584,7 +1620,7 @@
 		if [ -n "$PORTDIR_OVERLAY" ]; then
 			local overlay
 			for overlay in ${PORTDIR_OVERLAY}; do
-				olocation="${overlay}/eclass/${1}.eclass"
+				olocation="${overlay}/${eclassdir}/${1}.eclass"
 				if [ -e "$olocation" ]; then
 					location="${olocation}"
 					debug-print "  eclass exists: ${location}"
@@ -1852,7 +1888,19 @@
 # this can be left out of ebd variants, since they're unaffected.
 unset EBUILD_DEATH_HOOKS
 
-source ${EBUILD} || die "error sourcing ebuild"
+if [[ ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV} == no ]] ; then
+	source ${EBUILD} || die "error sourcing ebuild"
+else	
+	if [[ "${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV%.bz2}" != "${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV}" ]]; then
+		if ! [[ -e ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV%.bz2} ]]; then
+			bzcat ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV} > ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV%.bz2} || die "error unpacking env"
+		fi
+		source ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV%.bz2} 2>/dev/null || die "error sourcing env"
+	else
+		source ${PORTAGE_SAVED_ENV} 2>/dev/null || die "error sourcing env"
+	fi 
+fi
+
 if ! hasq depend $EBUILD_PHASE; then
 	RESTRICT="${PORTAGE_RESTRICT}"
 	unset PORTAGE_RESTRICT