Index: subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/wc.py
===================================================================
--- subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/wc.py	(revision 20442)
+++ subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/wc.py	(working copy)
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@
   def old_tree(self):
     "Return an old-style tree (for compatibility purposes)."
     nodelist = [ ]
+    root_props = None
+    root_atts = None
     for path, item in self.desc.items():
       atts = { }
       if item.status is not None:
@@ -134,13 +136,18 @@
         atts['switched'] = item.switched
       if item.writelocked is not None:
         atts['writelocked'] = item.writelocked
-      nodelist.append((os.path.normpath(os.path.join(self.wc_dir, path)),
-                       item.contents,
-                       item.props,
-                       atts))
 
-    return svntest.tree.build_generic_tree(nodelist)
+      if path == "":
+        # Capture some properties about the root node, which shouldn't
+        # be explicitly appended to the node list.
+        root_props = item.props
+        ### FIXME: We're setting root_atts too often!
+        root_atts = atts
+      else:
+        nodelist.append((os.path.normpath(os.path.join(self.wc_dir, path)),
+                         item.contents, item.props, atts))
 
+    return svntest.tree.build_generic_tree(nodelist, root_props, root_atts)
 
 class StateItem:
   """Describes an individual item within a working copy.
Index: subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/tree.py
===================================================================
--- subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/tree.py	(revision 20442)
+++ subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/tree.py	(working copy)
@@ -544,10 +544,16 @@
 #  populated dictionaries or {}.  Each CONTENTS/PROPS/ATTS will be
 #  attached to the basename-node of the associated PATH.
 
-def build_generic_tree(nodelist):
+def build_generic_tree(nodelist, root_props = None, root_atts = None):
   "Given a list of lists of a specific format, return a tree."
 
   root = SVNTreeNode(root_node_name)
+  if root_props:
+    print "build_generic_tree: Setting props '%s' on root node" % root_props
+    root.props = root_props
+  if root_atts:
+    print "build_generic_tree: Setting atts '%s' on root node" % root_atts
+    root.atts = root_atts
 
   for list in nodelist:
     new_branch = create_from_path(list[0], list[1], list[2], list[3])