--- vc-svn.el.qdist	2005-01-20 02:57:32.000000000 -0500
+++ vc-svn.el	2005-02-12 13:22:33.000000000 -0500
@@ -293,15 +293,43 @@
 check out the head of the trunk.  For Subversion, that's equivalent to
 passing nil.
 If optional arg DESTFILE is given, it is an alternate filename to
-write the contents to; we raise an error."
-  (unless editable
-    (error "VC asked Subversion to check out a read-only copy of file"))
-  (when destfile
-    (error "VC asked Subversion to check out a file under another name"))
-  (when (equal rev "")
-    (setq rev nil))
-  (apply 'vc-do-command nil 0 vc-svn-program-name file
-         "update" (if rev (list "-r" rev) '()))
+write the contents to.  EDITABLE is ignored in this case."
+  (if destfile
+      (let ((failed t)
+	    (backup-name (if (string= file destfile)
+			     (car (find-backup-file-name destfile)))))
+	(when backup-name
+	  (copy-file destfile backup-name
+		     'ok-if-already-exists 'keep-date)
+	  (unless (file-writable-p destfile)
+	    (set-file-modes destfile
+			    (logior (file-modes destfile) 128))))
+	(unwind-protect
+	    (progn
+	      (let ((coding-system-for-read 'no-conversion)
+		    (coding-system-for-write 'no-conversion))
+		(with-temp-file destfile
+		  (apply 'vc-do-command
+			 (current-buffer) 0 vc-svn-program-name file
+			 "cat"
+			 (if rev (list "-r" rev)))))
+	      (setq failed nil))
+	  (if failed
+	      (if backup-name
+		  (rename-file backup-name destfile
+			       'ok-if-already-exists)
+		(if (file-exists-p destfile)
+		    (delete-file destfile)))
+	    (and backup-name
+		 (not vc-make-backup-files)
+		 (delete-file backup-name)))))
+    (unless editable
+      (error "VC asked Subversion to check out a read-only copy of file"))
+    (when (equal rev "")
+      (setq rev nil))
+    (apply 'vc-do-command (current-buffer) 0 vc-svn-program-name file
+	   "update" (if rev (list "-r" rev) '()))
+  )
   (vc-file-setprop file 'vc-workfile-version nil))