Index: subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.c
===================================================================
--- subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.c	(revision 26130)
+++ subversion/libsvn_fs_fs/fs_fs.c	(working copy)
@@ -1809,6 +1809,7 @@
   int i;
   apr_pool_t *iterpool;
 
+  proplist = apr_hash_make(pool);
   iterpool = svn_pool_create(pool);
   for (i = 0; i < SVN_ESTALE_RETRY_COUNT; i++)
     {
@@ -1836,10 +1837,13 @@
           return err;
         }
 
-      proplist = apr_hash_make(pool);
+      SVN_ERR(svn_hash__clear(proplist));
+      SVN_RETRY_ESTALE(err,
+                       svn_hash_read2(proplist,
+                                      svn_stream_from_aprfile(revprop_file,
+                                                              iterpool),
+                                      SVN_HASH_TERMINATOR, pool));
 
-      SVN_RETRY_ESTALE(err, svn_hash_read(proplist, revprop_file, pool));
-
       SVN_IGNORE_ESTALE(err, svn_io_file_close(revprop_file, iterpool));
 
       break;
@@ -3353,11 +3357,13 @@
 
   /* Open the transaction properties file. */
   SVN_ERR(svn_io_file_open(&txn_prop_file, path_txn_props(fs, txn_id, pool),
-                           APR_READ | APR_CREATE | APR_BUFFERED,
+                           APR_READ | APR_BUFFERED,
                            APR_OS_DEFAULT, pool));
 
   /* Read in the property list. */
-  SVN_ERR(svn_hash_read(proplist, txn_prop_file, pool));
+  SVN_ERR(svn_hash_read2(proplist,
+                         svn_stream_from_aprfile(txn_prop_file, pool),
+                         SVN_HASH_TERMINATOR, pool));
 
   SVN_ERR(svn_io_file_close(txn_prop_file, pool));
 
@@ -3372,8 +3378,13 @@
 {
   apr_file_t *txn_prop_file;
   apr_hash_t *txn_prop = apr_hash_make(pool);
+  svn_error_t *err;
 
-  SVN_ERR(get_txn_proplist(txn_prop, txn->fs, txn->id, pool));
+  err = get_txn_proplist(txn_prop, txn->fs, txn->id, pool);
+  if (err && (APR_STATUS_IS_ENOENT(err->apr_err))) /* doesn't exist yet */
+    svn_error_clear(err);
+  else if (err)
+    return err;
 
   apr_hash_set(txn_prop, name, APR_HASH_KEY_STRING, value);
 
@@ -3405,11 +3416,13 @@
   /* Open the transaction mergeinfo file. */
   SVN_ERR(svn_io_file_open(&txn_minfo_file, 
                            path_txn_mergeinfo(fs, txn_id, pool),
-                           APR_READ | APR_CREATE | APR_BUFFERED,
+                           APR_READ | APR_BUFFERED,
                            APR_OS_DEFAULT, pool));
 
   /* Read in the property list. */
-  SVN_ERR(svn_hash_read(minfo, txn_minfo_file, pool));
+  SVN_ERR(svn_hash_read2(minfo,
+                         svn_stream_from_aprfile(txn_minfo_file, pool),
+                         SVN_HASH_TERMINATOR, pool));
 
   SVN_ERR(svn_io_file_close(txn_minfo_file, pool));
 
@@ -3426,8 +3439,13 @@
 {
   apr_file_t *txn_minfo_file;
   apr_hash_t *txn_minfo = apr_hash_make(pool);
+  svn_error_t *err;
 
-  SVN_ERR(get_txn_mergeinfo(txn_minfo, txn->fs, txn->id, pool));
+  err = get_txn_mergeinfo(txn_minfo, txn->fs, txn->id, pool);
+  if (err && (APR_STATUS_IS_ENOENT(err->apr_err))) /* doesn't exist yet */
+    svn_error_clear(err);
+  else if (err)
+    return err;
 
   apr_hash_set(txn_minfo, name, APR_HASH_KEY_STRING, value);