diff --git a/gclient_scm.py b/gclient_scm.py
index 3a3bd1a7b..d69a1d3f4 100644
--- a/gclient_scm.py
+++ b/gclient_scm.py
@@ -749,16 +749,31 @@ class SVNWrapper(SCMWrapper):
   def updatesingle(self, options, args, file_list):
     checkout_path = os.path.join(self._root_dir, self.relpath)
     filename = args.pop()
-    if not os.path.exists(checkout_path):
-      # Create an empty checkout and then update the one file we want.  Future
-      # operations will only apply to the one file we checked out.
-      command = ["checkout", "--depth", "empty", self.url, checkout_path]
+    if scm.SVN.AssertVersion("1.5")[0]:
+      if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(checkout_path, '.svn')):
+        # Create an empty checkout and then update the one file we want.  Future
+        # operations will only apply to the one file we checked out.
+        command = ["checkout", "--depth", "empty", self.url, checkout_path]
+        scm.SVN.Run(command, self._root_dir)
+        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(checkout_path, filename)):
+          os.remove(os.path.join(checkout_path, filename))
+        command = ["update", filename]
+        scm.SVN.RunAndGetFileList(options, command, checkout_path, file_list)
+      # After the initial checkout, we can use update as if it were any other
+      # dep.
+      self.update(options, args, file_list)
+    else:
+      # If the installed version of SVN doesn't support --depth, fallback to
+      # just exporting the file.  This has the downside that revision
+      # information is not stored next to the file, so we will have to
+      # re-export the file every time we sync.
+      if not os.path.exists(checkout_path):
+        os.makedirs(checkout_path)
+      command = ["export", os.path.join(self.url, filename),
+                 os.path.join(checkout_path, filename)]
+      if options.revision:
+        command.extend(['--revision', str(options.revision)])
       scm.SVN.Run(command, self._root_dir)
-      command = ["update", filename]
-      scm.SVN.RunAndGetFileList(options, command, checkout_path, file_list)
-    # After the initial checkout, we can use update as if it were any other
-    # dep.
-    self.update(options, args, file_list)
 
   def revert(self, options, args, file_list):
     """Reverts local modifications. Subversion specific.
diff --git a/scm.py b/scm.py
index 7c18f1660..87514beac 100644
--- a/scm.py
+++ b/scm.py
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ class GIT(object):
 
 class SVN(object):
   COMMAND = "svn"
+  current_version = None
 
   @staticmethod
   def Run(args, in_directory):
@@ -765,3 +766,22 @@ class SVN(object):
         break
       directory = parent
     return GetCasedPath(directory)
+
+  @staticmethod
+  def AssertVersion(min_version):
+    """Asserts svn's version is at least min_version."""
+    def only_int(val):
+      if val.isdigit():
+        return int(val)
+      else:
+        return 0
+    if not SVN.current_version:
+      SVN.current_version = SVN.Capture(['--version']).split()[2]
+    current_version_list = map(only_int, SVN.current_version.split('.'))
+    for min_ver in map(int, min_version.split('.')):
+      ver = current_version_list.pop(0)
+      if ver < min_ver:
+        return (False, SVN.current_version)
+      elif ver > min_ver:
+        return (True, SVN.current_version)
+    return (True, SVN.current_version)
diff --git a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
index 46e553605..fb2ea42e7 100755
--- a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
+++ b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
@@ -274,8 +274,17 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
       'URL': self.url,
       'Revision': 42,
     }
+
+    # Checks to make sure that we support svn co --depth.
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.current_version = None
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']
+        ).AndReturn('svn, version 1.5.1 (r32289)')
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, '.svn')
+        ).AndReturn(False)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, 'DEPS')
+        ).AndReturn(False)
+
     # When checking out a single file, we issue an svn checkout and svn update.
-    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(base_path).AndReturn(False)
     files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Run(
         ['checkout', '--depth', 'empty', self.url, base_path], self.root_dir)
@@ -284,7 +293,7 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
 
     # Now we fall back on scm.update().
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, '.git')
-                               ).AndReturn(False)
+        ).AndReturn(False)
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(base_path).AndReturn(True)
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.CaptureInfo(
         gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, "."), '.'
@@ -297,14 +306,87 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
                             relpath=self.relpath)
     scm.updatesingle(options, ['DEPS'], files_list)
 
-  def testUpdateSingleUpdate(self):
+  def testUpdateSingleCheckoutSVN14(self):
     options = self.Options(verbose=True)
     base_path = gclient_scm.os.path.join(self.root_dir, self.relpath)
     file_info = {
       'URL': self.url,
       'Revision': 42,
     }
+
+    # Checks to make sure that we support svn co --depth.
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.current_version = None
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']
+        ).AndReturn('svn, version 1.4.4 (r25188)')
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path)
+        ).AndReturn(True)
+
+    # When checking out a single file with svn 1.4, we use svn export
+    files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Run(
+        ['export', gclient_scm.os.path.join(self.url, 'DEPS'),
+            gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, 'DEPS')], self.root_dir)
+
+    self.mox.ReplayAll()
+    scm = self._scm_wrapper(url=self.url, root_dir=self.root_dir,
+                            relpath=self.relpath)
+    scm.updatesingle(options, ['DEPS'], files_list)
+
+  def testUpdateSingleCheckoutSVNUpgrade(self):
+    options = self.Options(verbose=True)
+    base_path = gclient_scm.os.path.join(self.root_dir, self.relpath)
+    file_info = {
+      'URL': self.url,
+      'Revision': 42,
+    }
+
+    # Checks to make sure that we support svn co --depth.
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.current_version = None
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']
+        ).AndReturn('svn, version 1.5.1 (r32289)')
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, '.svn')
+        ).AndReturn(False)
+    # If DEPS already exists, assume we're upgrading from svn1.4, so delete
+    # the old DEPS file.
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, 'DEPS')
+        ).AndReturn(True)
+    gclient_scm.os.remove(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, 'DEPS'))
+
+    # When checking out a single file, we issue an svn checkout and svn update.
+    files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Run(
+        ['checkout', '--depth', 'empty', self.url, base_path], self.root_dir)
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.RunAndGetFileList(options, ['update', 'DEPS'],
+        gclient_scm.os.path.join(self.root_dir, self.relpath), files_list)
+
+    # Now we fall back on scm.update().
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, '.git')
+        ).AndReturn(False)
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(base_path).AndReturn(True)
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.CaptureInfo(
+        gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, "."), '.'
+        ).AndReturn(file_info)
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.CaptureInfo(file_info['URL'], '.').AndReturn(file_info)
+    print("\n_____ %s at 42" % self.relpath)
+
+    self.mox.ReplayAll()
+    scm = self._scm_wrapper(url=self.url, root_dir=self.root_dir,
+                            relpath=self.relpath)
+    scm.updatesingle(options, ['DEPS'], files_list)
+
+  def testUpdateSingleUpdate(self):
+    options = self.Options(verbose=True)
+    base_path = gclient_scm.os.path.join(self.root_dir, self.relpath)
+    file_info = {
+      'URL': self.url,
+      'Revision': 42,
+    }
+    # Checks to make sure that we support svn co --depth.
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.current_version = None
+    gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']
+        ).AndReturn('svn, version 1.5.1 (r32289)')
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(gclient_scm.os.path.join(base_path, '.svn')
+        ).AndReturn(True)
 
     # Now we fall back on scm.update().
     files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
diff --git a/tests/scm_unittest.py b/tests/scm_unittest.py
index 699039ebe..c27002a04 100755
--- a/tests/scm_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/scm_unittest.py
@@ -146,10 +146,11 @@ class SVNTestCase(BaseSCMTestCase):
   def testMembersChanged(self):
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
     members = [
-        'COMMAND', 'Capture', 'CaptureBaseRevision', 'CaptureHeadRevision',
-        'CaptureInfo', 'CaptureStatus', 'DiffItem', 'GenerateDiff',
-        'GetCheckoutRoot', 'GetEmail', 'GetFileProperty', 'IsMoved',
-        'ReadSimpleAuth', 'Run', 'RunAndFilterOutput', 'RunAndGetFileList',
+        'COMMAND', 'AssertVersion', 'Capture', 'CaptureBaseRevision',
+        'CaptureHeadRevision', 'CaptureInfo', 'CaptureStatus',
+        'current_version', 'DiffItem', 'GenerateDiff', 'GetCheckoutRoot',
+        'GetEmail', 'GetFileProperty', 'IsMoved', 'ReadSimpleAuth', 'Run',
+        'RunAndFilterOutput', 'RunAndGetFileList',
     ]
     # If this test fails, you should add the relevant test.
     self.compareMembers(scm.SVN, members)