Having apache2 installed should automatically set the apache2 use flag. See bug 39097 for more details and a good example of why this should be the case. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: As an example, emerge apache2, make sure that apache2 are not explicitly mentioned in the USE="..." line of /etc/make.conf and attempt to emerge subversion-0.37. Portage 2.0.49-r21 (default-x86-1.4, gcc-3.2.3, glibc-2.3.2-r9, 2.6.1) ================================================================= System uname: 2.6.1 i686 Pentium III (Coppermine) Gentoo Base System version 1.4.3.10 distcc 2.11.1 i686-pc-linux-gnu (protocols 1 and 2) (default port 3632) [disabled] ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86" AUTOCLEAN="yes" CFLAGS="-march=pentium3 -O2 -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer" CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu" COMPILER="gcc3" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /opt/tomcat/conf /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3.1/share/config /usr/kde/3/share/config /usr/share/config /var/qmail/alias /var/qmail/control" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/env.d" CXXFLAGS="-march=pentium3 -O2 -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="autoaddcvs ccache sandbox" GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp://ftp.is.co.za/linux/distributions/gentoo ftp://ftp.up.ac.za/mirrors/gentoo.org/gentoo http://gentoo.oregonstate.edu/ http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distributions/gentoo" MAKEOPTS="-j2" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE="X aalib alsa apm arts avi berkdb cdr crypt cups encode esd foomaticdb gdbm gif gpm gtk gtk2 imlib java jpeg kde libg++ libwww mad mikmod mmx motif mozilla mpeg mysql ncurses nls oggvorbis opengl oss pam pdflib perl png python qt quicktime readline sdl slang spell ssl svga tcltk tcpd truetype x86 xml2 xmms xv zlib video_cards_rage128"
no your suggested behaviour is quite simply wrong. Read the description of what the apache2 use flag does: apache2 - Chooses Apache2 support when a package supports both Apache1 and Apache2 Your behavior there would break the system for those that want to use both apache1 and apache2. take this up with the subversion people instead.
Closing, I'm not getting what I want to hear here or from subversion. BUt I suspect you're right, the problem is probably with subversion not apache2.