diff --git a/gcl.py b/gcl.py
index 5d14793784..4258f400eb 100755
--- a/gcl.py
+++ b/gcl.py
@@ -65,18 +65,9 @@ def GetRepositoryRoot():
   """
   global REPOSITORY_ROOT
   if not REPOSITORY_ROOT:
-    infos = SVN.CaptureInfo(os.getcwd(), print_error=False)
-    cur_dir_repo_root = infos.get("Repository Root")
-    if not cur_dir_repo_root:
+    REPOSITORY_ROOT = SVN.GetCheckoutRoot(os.getcwd())
+    if not REPOSITORY_ROOT:
       raise gclient_utils.Error("gcl run outside of repository")
-
-    REPOSITORY_ROOT = os.getcwd()
-    while True:
-      parent = os.path.dirname(REPOSITORY_ROOT)
-      if (SVN.CaptureInfo(parent, print_error=False).get(
-              "Repository Root") != cur_dir_repo_root):
-        break
-      REPOSITORY_ROOT = parent
   return REPOSITORY_ROOT
 
 
diff --git a/scm.py b/scm.py
index 8dc127e33e..96ae2647c6 100644
--- a/scm.py
+++ b/scm.py
@@ -486,3 +486,22 @@ class SVN(object):
         break
       values[key] = value
     return values
+
+  @staticmethod
+  def GetCheckoutRoot(directory):
+    """Returns the top level directory of the current repository.
+
+    The directory is returned as an absolute path.
+    """
+    infos = SVN.CaptureInfo(directory, print_error=False)
+    cur_dir_repo_root = infos.get("Repository Root")
+    if not cur_dir_repo_root:
+      return None
+
+    while True:
+      parent = os.path.dirname(directory)
+      if (SVN.CaptureInfo(parent, print_error=False).get(
+              "Repository Root") != cur_dir_repo_root):
+        break
+      directory = parent
+    return directory
diff --git a/tests/gcl_unittest.py b/tests/gcl_unittest.py
index e598312067..64f5f63427 100755
--- a/tests/gcl_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/gcl_unittest.py
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ class GclUnittest(GclTestsBase):
     gcl.os.getcwd().AndReturn(root_path)
     result1 = { "Repository Root": "Some root" }
     gcl.SVN.CaptureInfo(root_path, print_error=False).AndReturn(result1)
-    gcl.os.getcwd().AndReturn(root_path)
     results2 = { "Repository Root": "A different root" }
     gcl.SVN.CaptureInfo(gcl.os.path.dirname(root_path),
                         print_error=False).AndReturn(results2)
diff --git a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
index 99b4a9e1ce..f86231947a 100755
--- a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
+++ b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
   def testDir(self):
     members = [
         'COMMAND', 'Capture', 'CaptureHeadRevision', 'CaptureInfo',
-        'CaptureStatus', 'DiffItem', 'GetEmail',
+        'CaptureStatus', 'DiffItem', 'GetCheckoutRoot', 'GetEmail',
         'GetFileProperty', 'IsMoved', 'ReadSimpleAuth', 'Run',
         'RunAndFilterOutput', 'RunAndGetFileList',
         'RunCommand', 'cleanup', 'diff', 'export', 'pack', 'relpath', 'revert',
diff --git a/tests/scm_unittest.py b/tests/scm_unittest.py
index 5d5fa97b92..fc05677405 100755
--- a/tests/scm_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/scm_unittest.py
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ class SVNTestCase(BaseSCMTestCase):
     self.mox.ReplayAll()
     members = [
         'COMMAND', 'Capture', 'CaptureHeadRevision', 'CaptureInfo',
-        'CaptureStatus', 'DiffItem', 'GetEmail', 'GetFileProperty', 'IsMoved',
+        'CaptureStatus', 'DiffItem', 'GetCheckoutRoot', 'GetEmail',
+        'GetFileProperty', 'IsMoved',
         'ReadSimpleAuth', 'Run', 'RunAndFilterOutput', 'RunAndGetFileList',
     ]
     # If this test fails, you should add the relevant test.
diff --git a/trychange.py b/trychange.py
index 39af71ed0e..691c67de28 100755
--- a/trychange.py
+++ b/trychange.py
@@ -138,10 +138,7 @@ class SVN(SCM):
     used.
     """
     previous_cwd = os.getcwd()
-    if root is None:
-      os.chdir(gcl.GetRepositoryRoot())
-    else:
-      os.chdir(root)
+    os.chdir(root or scm.SVN.GetCheckoutRoot(previous_cwd))
 
     # Directories will return None so filter them out.
     diff = filter(None, [scm.SVN.DiffItem(f) for f in files])
@@ -157,19 +154,23 @@ class SVN(SCM):
     return self.change_info.GetLocalRoot()
 
   def ProcessOptions(self):
+    checkout_root = None
     if not self.options.diff:
       # Generate the diff with svn and write it to the submit queue path.  The
       # files are relative to the repository root, but we need patches relative
       # to one level up from there (i.e., 'src'), so adjust both the file
       # paths and the root of the diff.
+      # TODO(maruel): Remove this hack.
       source_root = GetSourceRoot()
-      prefix = PathDifference(source_root, gcl.GetRepositoryRoot())
+      checkout_root = scm.SVN.GetCheckoutRoot(os.getcwd())
+      prefix = PathDifference(source_root, checkout_root)
       adjusted_paths = [os.path.join(prefix, x) for x in self.options.files]
       self.options.diff = self.GenerateDiff(adjusted_paths, root=source_root)
       self.change_info = gcl.LoadChangelistInfoForMultiple(self.options.name,
           gcl.GetRepositoryRoot(), True, True)
     if not self.options.email:
-      self.options.email = scm.SVN.GetEmail(gcl.GetRepositoryRoot())
+      checkout_root = checkout_root or scm.SVN.GetCheckoutRoot(os.getcwd())
+      self.options.email = scm.SVN.GetEmail(checkout_root)
 
 
 class GIT(SCM):