diff --git a/lib/libalpm/add.c b/lib/libalpm/add.c
index 610cc25c..6c0a1eae 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/add.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/add.c
@@ -355,14 +355,12 @@ static int extract_single_file(struct archive *archive,
 	 *      links, etc.
 	 *  12- skip extraction, dir already exists.
 	 */
-	struct stat lsbuf;
-	if(_alpm_lstat(filename, &lsbuf) != 0) {
+
+	/* do both a lstat and a stat, so we can see what symlinks point to */
+	struct stat lsbuf, sbuf;
+	if(_alpm_lstat(filename, &lsbuf) != 0 || stat(filename, &sbuf) != 0) {
 		/* cases 1,2,3: couldn't stat an existing file, skip all backup checks */
 	} else {
-		/* do a stat as well, so we can see what symlinks point to */
-		struct stat sbuf;
-		stat(filename, &sbuf);
-
 		if(S_ISDIR(lsbuf.st_mode) && S_ISDIR(entrymode)) {
 			/* case 12: existing dir, ignore it */
 			if(lsbuf.st_mode != entrymode) {
diff --git a/pactest/pmdb.py b/pactest/pmdb.py
index cc852c2a..af392000 100755
--- a/pactest/pmdb.py
+++ b/pactest/pmdb.py
@@ -119,7 +119,10 @@ class pmdb:
 
         # desc
         filename = os.path.join(path, "desc")
-        fd = file(filename, "r")
+        if not os.path.isfile(filename):
+            print "invalid db entry found (desc missing) for pkg", pkgname
+            return None
+        fd = open(filename, "r")
         while 1:
             line = fd.readline()
             if not line:
@@ -158,7 +161,10 @@ class pmdb:
 
         # files
         filename = os.path.join(path, "files")
-        fd = file(filename, "r")
+        if not os.path.isfile(filename):
+            print "invalid db entry found (files missing) for pkg", pkgname
+            return None
+        fd = open(filename, "r")
         while 1:
             line = fd.readline()
             if not line:
@@ -177,6 +183,9 @@ class pmdb:
 
         # depends
         filename = os.path.join(path, "depends")
+        if not os.path.isfile(filename):
+            print "invalid db entry found (depends missing) for pkg", pkgname
+            return None
         fd = file(filename, "r")
         while 1:
             line = fd.readline()
diff --git a/pactest/tests/upgrade045.py b/pactest/tests/upgrade045.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2f81274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pactest/tests/upgrade045.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+self.description = "FS#9235"
+
+lp = pmpkg("foo")
+lp.files = ["etc/foo.cfg -> etc/foo.cfg"]
+lp.backup = ["etc/foo.cfg"]
+self.addpkg2db("local", lp)
+
+p1 = pmpkg("foo", "1.0-2")
+p1.files = ["etc/foo.cfg*"]
+p1.backup = ["etc/foo.cfg"]
+self.addpkg(p1)
+
+self.args = "-U %s" % p1.filename()
+
+self.addrule("PKG_VERSION=foo|1.0-2")
+self.addrule("FILE_EXIST=etc/foo.cfg")
diff --git a/pactest/util.py b/pactest/util.py
index b24bfdcf..2a6ff4e7 100755
--- a/pactest/util.py
+++ b/pactest/util.py
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ def mkcfgfile(filename, root, option, db):
 def getmd5sum(filename):
     """
     """
+    if not os.path.isfile(filename):
+        print "file %s does not exist!" % filename
+        return ""
     fd = open(filename, "rb")
     checksum = md5.new()
     while 1:
@@ -223,6 +226,9 @@ def mkmd5sum(data):
 def getmtime(filename):
     """
     """
+    if not os.path.exists(filename):
+        print "path %s does not exist!" % filename
+        return 0, 0, 0
     st = os.stat(filename)
     return st[stat.ST_ATIME], st[stat.ST_MTIME], st[stat.ST_CTIME]
 
diff --git a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
index 68ad5978..cecda1d2 100644
--- a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
@@ -998,23 +998,30 @@ devel_check() {
 		# This will only be used on the first call to makepkg; subsequent
 		# calls to makepkg via fakeroot will explicitly pass the version
 		# number to avoid having to determine the version number twice.
+		# Also do a brief check to make sure we have the VCS tool available.
 		oldpkgver=$pkgver
 		if [ ! -z ${_darcstrunk} ] && [ ! -z ${_darcsmod} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p darcs) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest darcs revision...")"
 			newpkgver=$(date +%Y%m%d)
 		elif [ ! -z ${_cvsroot} ] && [ ! -z ${_cvsmod} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p cvs) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest cvs revision...")"
 			newpkgver=$(date +%Y%m%d)
 		elif [ ! -z ${_gitroot} ] && [ ! -z ${_gitname} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p git) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest git revision...")"
 			newpkgver=$(date +%Y%m%d)
 		elif [ ! -z ${_svntrunk} ] && [ ! -z ${_svnmod} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p svn) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest svn revision...")"
 			newpkgver=$(svn log $_svntrunk --limit 1 -q | sed -n 's/^r\([0-9]*\) .*$/\1/p')
 		elif [ ! -z ${_bzrtrunk} ] && [ ! -z ${_bzrmod} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p bzr) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest bzr revision...")"
 			newpkgver=$(bzr revno ${_bzrtrunk})
 		elif [ ! -z ${_hgroot} ] && [ ! -z ${_hgrepo} ] ; then
+			[ $(type -p hg) ] || return 0
 			msg "$(gettext "Determining latest hg revision...")"
 			if [ -d ./src/$_hgrepo ] ; then
 				cd ./src/$_hgrepo