diff --git a/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py b/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
index 9ff154f..920abb0 100644
--- a/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
+++ b/main/tags/2.2_rc23/pym/_emerge/__init__.py
@@ -12033,8 +12033,14 @@ def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 	out = portage.output.EOutput()
 
 	myportdir = settings.get("PORTDIR", None)
+	sync_method = settings.get("SYNC_METHOD", "").strip()
 	syncuri = settings.get("SYNC", "").strip()
 
+	if not sync_method:
+		writemsg_level("!!! SYNC_METHOD is undefined. Is /etc/make.globals missing?\n",
+			noiselevel=-1, level=logging.ERROR)
+		return 1
+
 	if not syncuri:
 		writemsg_level("!!! SYNC is undefined. Is /etc/make.globals missing?\n",
 			noiselevel=-1, level=logging.ERROR)
@@ -12086,7 +12092,7 @@ def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 	if myaction == "metadata":
 		print "skipping sync"
 		updatecache_flg = True
-	elif ".git" in vcs_dirs:
+	elif sync_method == "git":
 		# Update existing git repository, and ignore the syncuri. We are
 		# going to trust the user and assume that the user is in the branch
 		# that he/she wants updated. We'll let the user manage branches with
@@ -12114,7 +12120,7 @@ def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 		exitcode = git_sync_timestamps(settings, myportdir)
 		if exitcode == os.EX_OK:
 			updatecache_flg = True
-	elif syncuri[:8]=="rsync://":
+	elif sync_method == "rsync":
 		for vcs_dir in vcs_dirs:
 			writemsg_level(("!!! %s appears to be under revision " + \
 				"control (contains %s).\n!!! Aborting rsync sync.\n") % \
@@ -12450,7 +12456,7 @@ def action_sync(settings, trees, mtimedb, myopts, myaction):
 			for line in msg:
 				out.eerror(line)
 			sys.exit(exitcode)
-	elif syncuri[:6]=="cvs://":
+	elif sync_method == "cvs":
 		if not os.path.exists("/usr/bin/cvs"):
 			print "!!! /usr/bin/cvs does not exist, so CVS support is disabled."
 			print "!!! Type \"emerge dev-util/cvs\" to enable CVS support."