diff --git a/mercurial/subrepo.py b/mercurial/subrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/subrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/subrepo.py
@@ -625,8 +625,7 @@ class svnsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
     def get(self, state, overwrite=False):
         if overwrite:
             self._svncommand(['revert', '--recursive'])
-        status = self._svncommand(['checkout', '--force', state[0],
-                                   '--revision', state[1]])
+        status = self._svncommand(['checkout', state[0], '--revision', state[1]])
         if not re.search('Checked out revision [0-9]+.', status):
             raise util.Abort(status.splitlines()[-1])
         self._ui.status(status)
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
@@ -438,60 +438,3 @@ Test subrepo already at intended revisio
   $ svnversion
   2
   $ cd ..
-
-Test case where subversion would fail to update the subrepo because there
-are unknown directories being replaced by tracked ones (happens with rebase).
-
-  $ cd $WCROOT/src
-  $ mkdir dir
-  $ echo epsilon.py > dir/epsilon.py
-  $ svn add dir
-  A         dir
-  A         dir/epsilon.py
-  $ svn ci -m 'Add dir/epsilon.py'
-  Adding         src/dir
-  Adding         src/dir/epsilon.py
-  Transmitting file data .
-  Committed revision 6.
-  $ cd ../..
-  $ hg init rebaserepo
-  $ cd rebaserepo
-  $ svn co -r5 --quiet "$SVNREPO"/src s
-  $ echo "s =        [svn]       $SVNREPO/src" >> .hgsub
-  $ hg add .hgsub
-  $ hg ci -m addsub
-  committing subrepository s
-  $ echo a > a
-  $ hg ci -Am adda
-  adding a
-  $ hg up 0
-  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
-  $ svn up -r6 s
-  A    s/dir
-  A    s/dir/epsilon.py
-  
-  Fetching external item into 's/externals'
-  Updated external to revision 1.
-  
-  Updated to revision 6.
-  $ hg ci -m updatesub
-  committing subrepository s
-  created new head
-  $ echo pyc > s/dir/epsilon.pyc
-  $ hg up 1
-  D    $TESTTMP/rebaserepo/s/dir
-  
-  Fetching external item into '$TESTTMP/rebaserepo/s/externals'
-  Checked out external at revision 1.
-  
-  Checked out revision 5.
-  2 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
-  $ hg up 2
-  E    $TESTTMP/rebaserepo/s/dir
-  A    $TESTTMP/rebaserepo/s/dir/epsilon.py
-  
-  Fetching external item into '$TESTTMP/rebaserepo/s/externals'
-  Checked out external at revision 1.
-  
-  Checked out revision 6.
-  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved