Index: portage_exception.py
===================================================================
--- portage_exception.py	(revision 3005)
+++ portage_exception.py	(working copy)
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 
 class PortageException(Exception):
 	"""General superclass for portage exceptions"""
-	def __init__(self,value):
-		self.value = value[:]
+	def __init__(self,value = None ):
+		if value:
+			self.value = value[:]
+		else:
+			self.value = None
 	def __str__(self):
 		return repr(self.value)