diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/audit.rb b/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/audit.rb
index 2c93364812..be332481ca 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/audit.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/audit.rb
@@ -1228,7 +1228,8 @@ class ResourceAuditor
         end
       elsif strategy <= SubversionDownloadStrategy
         next unless DevelopmentTools.subversion_handles_most_https_certificates?
-        unless Utils.svn_remote_exists url
+        next unless Utils.svn_available?
+        if Utils.svn_remote_exists url
           problem "The URL #{url} is not a valid svn URL"
         end
       end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/svn_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/svn_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4edb365a03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils/svn_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+require "utils/svn"
+
+describe Utils do
+  describe "#self.svn_available?" do
+    before(:each) do
+      described_class.clear_svn_version_cache
+    end
+
+    it "returns svn version if svn available" do
+      expect(described_class.svn_available?).to be_truthy
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#self.svn_remote_exists" do
+    it "returns true when svn is not available" do
+      allow(Utils).to receive(:svn_available?).and_return(false)
+      expect(described_class.svn_remote_exists("blah")).to be_truthy
+    end
+
+    context "when svn is available" do
+      before do
+        allow(Utils).to receive(:svn_available?).and_return(true)
+      end
+
+      it "returns false when remote does not exist" do
+        expect(described_class.svn_remote_exists(HOMEBREW_CACHE/"install")).to be_falsey
+      end
+
+      it "returns true when remote exists", :needs_network do
+        remote = "http://github.com/Homebrew/install"
+        svn = HOMEBREW_SHIMS_PATH/"scm/svn"
+
+        HOMEBREW_CACHE.cd { system svn, "checkout", remote }
+
+        expect(described_class.svn_remote_exists(HOMEBREW_CACHE/"install")).to be_truthy
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/utils/svn.rb b/Library/Homebrew/utils/svn.rb
index fb49ac2e99..150b7eee74 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/utils/svn.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/utils/svn.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 module Utils
+  def self.clear_svn_version_cache
+    remove_instance_variable(:@svn) if instance_variable_defined?(:@svn)
+  end
+
   def self.svn_available?
     return @svn if instance_variable_defined?(:@svn)
     @svn = quiet_system HOMEBREW_SHIMS_PATH/"scm/svn", "--version"