diff --git a/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py b/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
index 04155d6..d974e11 100644
--- a/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
+++ b/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
@@ -12030,8 +12030,16 @@ def show_mask_docs():
 def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 	xterm_titles = "notitles" not in settings.features
 	emergelog(xterm_titles, " === sync")
-	myportdir = settings.get("PORTDIR", None)
 	out = portage.output.EOutput()
+
+	myportdir = settings.get("PORTDIR", None)
+	syncuri = settings.get("SYNC", "").strip()
+
+	if not syncuri:
+		writemsg_level("!!! SYNC is undefined. Is /etc/make.globals missing?\n",
+			noiselevel=-1, level=logging.ERROR)
+		return 1
+
 	if not myportdir:
 		sys.stderr.write("!!! PORTDIR is undefined.  Is /etc/make.globals missing?\n")
 		sys.exit(1)
@@ -12068,11 +12076,6 @@ def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 				umask = umask | 0020
 			spawn_kwargs["umask"] = umask
 
-	syncuri = settings.get("SYNC", "").strip()
-	if not syncuri:
-		writemsg_level("!!! SYNC is undefined. Is /etc/make.globals missing?\n",
-			noiselevel=-1, level=logging.ERROR)
-		return 1
 
 	vcs_dirs = frozenset([".git", ".svn", "CVS", ".hg"])
 	vcs_dirs = vcs_dirs.intersection(os.listdir(myportdir))