Index: pym/portage/__init__.py
===================================================================
--- pym/portage/__init__.py	(revision 11319)
+++ pym/portage/__init__.py	(working copy)
@@ -5042,7 +5042,8 @@
 	actionmap_deps={
 	"setup":  [],
 	"unpack": ["setup"],
-	"compile":["unpack"],
+	"configure": ["unpack"],
+	"compile":["configure"],
 	"test":   ["compile"],
 	"install":["test"],
 	"rpm":    ["install"],
@@ -5063,7 +5064,7 @@
 	validcommands = ["help","clean","prerm","postrm","cleanrm","preinst","postinst",
 	                "config", "info", "setup", "depend",
 	                "fetch", "fetchall", "digest",
-	                "unpack","compile","test","install","rpm","qmerge","merge",
+	                "unpack", "configure", "compile","test","install","rpm","qmerge", "merge",
 	                "package","unmerge", "manifest"]
 
 	if mydo not in validcommands:
@@ -5617,13 +5618,14 @@
 
 		# args are for the to spawn function
 		actionmap = {
-"setup":  {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":1,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":0}},
-"unpack": {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":0,         "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
-"compile":{"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":nosandbox, "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
-"test":   {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":nosandbox, "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
-"install":{"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
-"rpm":    {"cmd":misc_sh,   "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
-"package":{"cmd":misc_sh,   "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
+"setup":    {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":1,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":0}},
+"unpack":   {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":0,         "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
+"configure":{"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":nosandbox, "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
+"compile":  {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":nosandbox, "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
+"test":     {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":droppriv, "free":nosandbox, "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":0}},
+"install":  {"cmd":ebuild_sh, "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":sesandbox, "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
+"rpm":      {"cmd":misc_sh,   "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
+"package":  {"cmd":misc_sh,   "args":{"droppriv":0,        "free":0,         "sesandbox":0,         "fakeroot":fakeroot}},
 		}
 
 		# merge the deps in so we have again a 'full' actionmap
Index: pym/_emerge/__init__.py
===================================================================
--- pym/_emerge/__init__.py	(revision 11319)
+++ pym/_emerge/__init__.py	(working copy)
@@ -2587,7 +2587,7 @@
 
 	__slots__ = ("pkg", "scheduler", "settings") + ("_tree",)
 
-	_phases = ("compile", "test", "install")
+	_phases = ("configure", "compile", "test", "install")
 
 	_live_eclasses = frozenset([
 		"cvs",
Index: bin/ebuild
===================================================================
--- bin/ebuild	(revision 11319)
+++ bin/ebuild	(working copy)
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
 	tmpsettings.backup_changes("EBUILD_SKIP_MANIFEST")
 	portage._doebuild_manifest_exempt_depend += 1
 
-build_dir_phases = set(["setup", "unpack", "compile",
+build_dir_phases = set(["setup", "unpack", "configure", "compile",
 	"test", "install", "package", "rpm"])
 
 def stale_env_warning():
Index: bin/isolated-functions.sh
===================================================================
--- bin/isolated-functions.sh	(revision 11319)
+++ bin/isolated-functions.sh	(working copy)
@@ -499,12 +499,14 @@
 			best_version use_with use_enable register_die_hook check_KV \
 			keepdir unpack strip_duplicate_slashes econf einstall \
 			dyn_setup dyn_unpack dyn_clean into insinto exeinto docinto \
-			insopts diropts exeopts libopts abort_handler abort_compile \
-			abort_test abort_install dyn_compile dyn_test dyn_install \
+			insopts diropts exeopts libopts abort_handler abort_configure \
+			abort_compile abort_test abort_install default_pkg_nofetch \
+			default_src_unpack default_src_configure default_src_compile \
+			default_src_test dyn_configure dyn_compile dyn_test dyn_install \
 			dyn_preinst dyn_help debug-print debug-print-function \
 			debug-print-section inherit EXPORT_FUNCTIONS newdepend newrdepend \
-			newpdepend do_newdepend remove_path_entry \
-			save_ebuild_env filter_readonly_variables preprocess_ebuild_env \
+			newpdepend do_newdepend remove_path_entry save_ebuild_env \
+			filter_readonly_variables preprocess_ebuild_env \
 			source_all_bashrcs ebuild_phase ebuild_phase_with_hooks \
 			${QA_INTERCEPTORS}
 
Index: bin/ebuild.sh
===================================================================
--- bin/ebuild.sh	(revision 11319)
+++ bin/ebuild.sh	(working copy)
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
 	fi
 }
 
-pkg_nofetch() {
+default_pkg_nofetch() {
 	[ -z "${SRC_URI}" ] && return
 
 	echo "!!! The following are listed in SRC_URI for ${PN}:"
@@ -593,22 +593,25 @@
 	done
 }
 
-src_unpack() {
+default_src_unpack() {
 	[[ -n ${A} ]] && unpack ${A}
 }
 
-src_compile() {
+default_src_configure() {
 	if [ "${EAPI:-0}" == 0 ] ; then
 		[ -x ./configure ] && econf
 	elif [ -x "${ECONF_SOURCE:-.}/configure" ] ; then
 		econf
 	fi
+}
+
+default_src_compile() {
 	if [ -f Makefile ] || [ -f GNUmakefile ] || [ -f makefile ]; then
 		emake || die "emake failed"
 	fi
 }
 
-src_test() {
+default_src_test() {
 	if emake -j1 check -n &> /dev/null; then
 		vecho ">>> Test phase [check]: ${CATEGORY}/${PF}"
 		if ! emake -j1 check; then
@@ -626,6 +629,29 @@
 	fi
 }
 
+pkg_nofetch() {
+	default_pkg_nofetch
+}
+
+src_unpack() {
+	default_src_unpack
+}
+
+src_configure() {
+	default_src_configure
+}
+
+src_compile() {
+	if [[ "${EAPI:-0}" == [01] ]] ; then
+		default_src_configure
+	fi
+	default_src_compile
+}
+
+src_test() {
+	default_src_test
+}
+
 ebuild_phase() {
 	[ "$(type -t ${1})" == "function" ] && qa_call ${1}
 }
@@ -822,6 +848,12 @@
 	trap SIGINT SIGQUIT
 }
 
+abort_configure() {
+	abort_handler "src_configure" $1
+	rm -f "${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.configured"
+	exit 1
+}
+
 abort_compile() {
 	abort_handler "src_compile" $1
 	rm -f "${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.compiled"
@@ -840,6 +872,79 @@
 	exit 1
 }
 
+dyn_configure() {
+	if [[ "${EAPI:-0}" != [01] ]] ; then
+		trap "abort_configure" SIGINT SIGQUIT
+
+		[ "$(type -t pre_src_configure)" == "function" ] && qa_call pre_src_configure
+
+		[ "${CFLAGS-unset}"      != "unset" ] && export CFLAGS
+		[ "${CXXFLAGS-unset}"    != "unset" ] && export CXXFLAGS
+		[ "${LIBCFLAGS-unset}"   != "unset" ] && export LIBCFLAGS
+		[ "${LIBCXXFLAGS-unset}" != "unset" ] && export LIBCXXFLAGS
+		[ "${LDFLAGS-unset}"     != "unset" ] && export LDFLAGS
+		[ "${ASFLAGS-unset}"     != "unset" ] && export ASFLAGS
+
+		LIBDIR_VAR="LIBDIR_${ABI}"
+		if [ -z "${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}" -a -n "${ABI}" -a -n "${!LIBDIR_VAR}" ]; then
+			export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/usr/${!LIBDIR_VAR}/pkgconfig"
+		fi
+		unset LIBDIR_VAR
+
+		if hasq noauto $FEATURES && [ ! -f ${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.unpacked ]; then
+			echo
+			echo "!!! We apparently haven't unpacked... This is probably not what you"
+			echo "!!! want to be doing... You are using FEATURES=noauto so I'll assume"
+			echo "!!! that you know what you are doing... You have 5 seconds to abort..."
+			echo
+
+			local x
+			for x in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8; do
+				echo -ne "\a"
+				LC_ALL=C sleep 0.25
+			done
+
+			sleep 3
+		fi
+
+		local srcdir=${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}
+		cd "${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}"
+		if [ ! -e "build-info" ]; then
+			mkdir build-info
+		fi
+		cp "${EBUILD}" "build-info/${PF}.ebuild"
+
+		if [[ ${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.configured -nt ${WORKDIR} ]] ; then
+			vecho ">>> It appears that '${PF}' is already configured; skipping."
+			vecho ">>> Remove '${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.configured' to force configuration."
+			trap SIGINT SIGQUIT
+			[ "$(type -t post_src_configure)" == "function" ] && qa_call post_src_configure
+			return
+		fi
+		if [ -d "${S}" ]; then
+			srcdir=${S}
+		else
+			srcdir=${WORKDIR}
+		fi
+		cd "${srcdir}"
+		#our custom version of libtool uses $S and $D to fix
+		#invalid paths in .la files
+		export S D
+		#some packages use an alternative to $S to build in, cause
+		#our libtool to create problematic .la files
+		export PWORKDIR="$WORKDIR"
+		vecho ">>> Configuring source in ${srcdir} ..."
+		ebuild_phase src_configure
+		vecho ">>> Source configured."
+		#|| abort_configure "fail"
+		cd "${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}"
+		touch .configured
+		[ "$(type -t post_src_configure)" == "function" ] && qa_call post_src_configure
+
+		trap SIGINT SIGQUIT
+	fi
+}
+
 dyn_compile() {
 	trap "abort_compile" SIGINT SIGQUIT
 
@@ -864,20 +969,22 @@
 	fi
 	unset LIBDIR_VAR
 
-	if hasq noauto $FEATURES && [ ! -f ${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.unpacked ]; then
-		echo
-		echo "!!! We apparently haven't unpacked... This is probably not what you"
-		echo "!!! want to be doing... You are using FEATURES=noauto so I'll assume"
-		echo "!!! that you know what you are doing... You have 5 seconds to abort..."
-		echo
+	if [[ "${EAPI:-0}" == [01] ]] ; then
+		if hasq noauto $FEATURES && [ ! -f ${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}/.unpacked ]; then
+			echo
+			echo "!!! We apparently haven't unpacked... This is probably not what you"
+			echo "!!! want to be doing... You are using FEATURES=noauto so I'll assume"
+			echo "!!! that you know what you are doing... You have 5 seconds to abort..."
+			echo
 
-		local x
-		for x in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8; do
-			echo -ne "\a"
-			LC_ALL=C sleep 0.25
-		done
+			local x
+			for x in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8; do
+				echo -ne "\a"
+				LC_ALL=C sleep 0.25
+			done
 
-		sleep 3
+			sleep 3
+		fi
 	fi
 
 	local srcdir=${PORTAGE_BUILDDIR}
@@ -1059,8 +1166,9 @@
 	echo "  digest      : create a manifest file for the package"
 	echo "  manifest    : create a manifest file for the package"
 	echo "  unpack      : unpack/patch sources (auto-fetch if needed)"
-	echo "  compile     : compile sources (auto-fetch/unpack if needed)"
-	echo "  test        : test package (auto-fetch/unpack/compile if needed)"
+	echo "  configure   : configure sources (auto-fetch/unpack if needed)"
+	echo "  compile     : compile sources (auto-fetch/unpack/configure if needed)"
+	echo "  test        : test package (auto-fetch/unpack/configure/compile if needed)"
 	echo "  preinst     : execute pre-install instructions"
 	echo "  postinst    : execute post-install instructions"
 	echo "  install     : install the package to the temporary install directory"
@@ -1786,7 +1894,7 @@
 			)
 		fi
 		;;
-	unpack|compile|test|clean|install)
+	unpack|configure|compile|test|clean|install)
 		if [ "${SANDBOX_DISABLED="0"}" == "0" ]; then
 			export SANDBOX_ON="1"
 		else