--- portage-2.0.53/bin/etc-update
+++ portage-2.0.53/bin/etc-update
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@
 
 export PORTAGE_CALLER="etc-update"
 
-eval $(python -c 'import portage; print "export PORTAGE_TMPDIR="+portage.settings["PORTAGE_TMPDIR"];')
+eval "$(python <<\EOF
+import portage, re
+for var in "CONFIG_PROTECT", "CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK", "PORTAGE_TMPDIR":
+	print var+"='"+re.sub("'", "'\\''", portage.settings[var])+"'"
+EOF
+)"

 if type -p gsed >/dev/null ; then
 	function sed() { gsed "$@"; }
@@ -366,10 +371,6 @@
 rm -rf ${TMP} 2> /dev/null
 mkdir ${TMP} || die "failed mkdir command!" 1
 
-# I need the CONFIG_PROTECT value
-CONFIG_PROTECT=$(/usr/lib/portage/bin/portageq config_protect)
-CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK=$(/usr/lib/portage/bin/portageq config_protect_mask)
-
 # load etc-config's configuration
 EU_AUTOMERGE=`get_config eu_automerge`
 rm_opts=`get_config rm_opts`