Index: subversion/tests/clients/cmdline/copy_tests.py
===================================================================
--- subversion/tests/clients/cmdline/copy_tests.py	(revision 13426)
+++ subversion/tests/clients/cmdline/copy_tests.py	(working copy)
@@ -1475,6 +1475,28 @@
                                          None, None, None, None, None,
                                          wc_dir)
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Test for copy into a non-existent url path 
+def url_2_non_existent_url_path(sbox):
+  "svn cp src-URL non-existent-URL-path"
+
+  sbox.build()
+  wc_dir = sbox.wc_dir
+
+  dirURL1  =  svntest.main.current_repo_url + "/A/B/E"
+  dirURL2  =  svntest.main.current_repo_url + "/G/C/E/I"
+  errstr   =  [ "svn: Path 'G' not present\n" ]
+
+  # Expect failure on 'svn cp SRC DST' 
+  # where one or more ancestor directories of
+  # DST do not exist
+  svntest.actions.run_and_verify_svn(None, None, errstr,
+                                     'cp', dirURL1, dirURL2,
+                                     '--username', svntest.main.wc_author,
+                                     '--password', svntest.main.wc_passwd,
+                                     '-m', 'fooogle')
+
+
 ########################################################################
 # Run the tests
 
@@ -1505,6 +1527,7 @@
               repos_to_wc_1634,
               double_uri_escaping_1814,
               wc_to_wc_copy_deleted,
+              url_2_non_existent_url_path,
              ]
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
Index: subversion/libsvn_repos/commit.c
===================================================================
--- subversion/libsvn_repos/commit.c	(revision 13426)
+++ subversion/libsvn_repos/commit.c	(working copy)
@@ -296,11 +296,13 @@
   svn_node_kind_t kind;
   const char *full_path = svn_path_join (eb->base_path, path, pool);
 
-  /* Check PATH in our transaction.  Make sure it does not exist,
-     else return an out-of-dateness error. */
+  /* Check PATH in our transaction.  If it does not exist,
+     return a 'Path not present' error. */
   SVN_ERR (svn_fs_check_path (&kind, eb->txn_root, full_path, pool));
   if (kind == svn_node_none)
-    return out_of_date (full_path, eb->txn_name);
+    return svn_error_createf (SVN_ERR_FS_NOT_DIRECTORY, NULL,
+                              _("Path '%s' not present"),
+                              path);
 
   /* Build a new dir baton for this directory */
   new_dirb = apr_pcalloc (pool, sizeof (*new_dirb));