--- portage.py.orig	2005-02-28 16:11:42.000000000 +0100
+++ portage.py.orig	2005-03-01 00:39:27.000000000 +0100
@@ -915,6 +915,44 @@ 
 			self.configdict={}
 			# configlist will contain: [ globals, defaults, conf, pkg, auto, backupenv (incrementals), origenv ]
 
+			# Read /etc/make.globals first, because we may need $PORTDIR to stack profiles
+			try:
+				self.mygcfg = getconfig("/etc/make.globals")
+				if self.mygcfg == None:
+					self.mygcfg = {}
+			except SystemExit, e:
+				raise
+			except Exception, e:
+				writemsg("!!! %s\n" % (e))
+				writemsg("!!! Incorrect multiline literals can cause this. Do not use them.\n")
+				writemsg("!!! Errors in this file should be reported on bugs.gentoo.org.\n")
+				sys.exit(1)
+			self.configlist.append(self.mygcfg)
+			self.configdict["globals"]=self.configlist[-1]
+
+			# Read /etc/make.conf second, in case user has redefined $PORTDIR
+			try:
+				# XXX: Should depend on root?
+				self.mygcfg=getconfig("/"+MAKE_CONF_FILE,allow_sourcing=True)
+				if self.mygcfg == None:
+					self.mygcfg = {}
+			except SystemExit, e:
+				raise
+			except Exception, e:
+				writemsg("!!! %s\n" % (e))
+				writemsg("!!! Incorrect multiline literals can cause this. Do not use them.\n")
+				sys.exit(1)
+			self.configdict["conf"]=self.mygcfg
+			# Note: do not add it to self.configlist yet, it must come third.
+
+			# Build a temporary config dict with only $PORTDIR (if available)
+			# This is for varexpansion of the "parent" paths during profiles stacking
+			self.mygcfg={}
+			if self.configdict["conf"]["PORTDIR"]:
+				self.mygcfg["PORTDIR"]=self.configdict["conf"]["PORTDIR"]
+			elif self.configdict["globals"]["PORTDIR"]:
+				self.mygcfg["PORTDIR"]=self.configdict["globals"]["PORTDIR"]
+
 			# The symlink might not exist or might not be a symlink.
 			try:
 				self.profiles=[abssymlink(self.profile_path)]
@@ -925,9 +963,18 @@ 
 
 			mypath = self.profiles[0]
 			while os.path.exists(mypath+"/parent"):
-				mypath = os.path.normpath(mypath+"///"+grabfile(mypath+"/parent")[0])
+				mypath = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(mypath,varexpand(grabfile(mypath+"/parent")[0],self.mygcfg)))
+				if mypath in self.profiles:
+					writemsg("!!! The following cascading profiles form a loop:\n")
+					for myindex in range(self.profiles.index(mypath), -1, -1):
+							writemsg("!!!    "+self.profiles[myindex]+" --parent--> "+([mypath]+self.profiles)[myindex]+"\n")
+					writemsg("!!! Ignoring.\n")
+					break
 				if os.path.exists(mypath):
 					self.profiles.insert(0,mypath)
+				else:
+					writemsg("!!! Parent profile does not exists: "+mypath+"\n")
+					writemsg("!!! Ignoring.\n")
 
 			if os.environ.has_key("PORTAGE_CALLER") and os.environ["PORTAGE_CALLER"] == "repoman":
 				pass
@@ -959,22 +1006,6 @@ 
 			self.use_defs  = stack_dictlist(use_defs_lists, incremental=True)
 			del use_defs_lists
 
-			try:
-				mygcfg_dlists = grab_multiple("make.globals", self.profiles+["/etc"], getconfig)
-				self.mygcfg   = stack_dicts(mygcfg_dlists, incrementals=portage_const.INCREMENTALS, ignore_none=1)
-
-				if self.mygcfg == None:
-					self.mygcfg = {}
-			except SystemExit, e:
-				raise
-			except Exception, e:
-				writemsg("!!! %s\n" % (e))
-				writemsg("!!! Incorrect multiline literals can cause this. Do not use them.\n")
-				writemsg("!!! Errors in this file should be reported on bugs.gentoo.org.\n")
-				sys.exit(1)
-			self.configlist.append(self.mygcfg)
-			self.configdict["globals"]=self.configlist[-1]
-
 			self.mygcfg = {}
 			if self.profiles:
 				try:
@@ -994,21 +1025,8 @@ 
 			self.configlist.append(self.mygcfg)
 			self.configdict["defaults"]=self.configlist[-1]
 
-			try:
-				# XXX: Should depend on root?
-				self.mygcfg=getconfig("/"+MAKE_CONF_FILE,allow_sourcing=True)
-				if self.mygcfg == None:
-					self.mygcfg = {}
-			except SystemExit, e:
-				raise
-			except Exception, e:
-				writemsg("!!! %s\n" % (e))
-				writemsg("!!! Incorrect multiline literals can cause this. Do not use them.\n")
-				sys.exit(1)
-			
-
-			self.configlist.append(self.mygcfg)
-			self.configdict["conf"]=self.configlist[-1]
+			# Config from make.conf comes third, but has already been read
+			self.configlist.append(self.configdict["conf"])
 
 			self.configlist.append({})
 			self.configdict["pkg"]=self.configlist[-1]