diff --git a/tools/release/c/bomfix.py b/tools/release/c/bomfix.py
index c6cd79a0b78..018d4eba20e 100644
--- a/tools/release/c/bomfix.py
+++ b/tools/release/c/bomfix.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+# Copyright © 2016 and later: Unicode, Inc. and others.
+# License & terms of use: http://www.unicode.org/copyright.html
 # Copyright (C) 2011 IBM Corporation and Others. All Rights Reserved.
 #
 # Run this like so:
@@ -9,13 +12,12 @@
 # it will fixup any files that have a mime-type of "utf-8" but no BOM.
 
 import os
-import svn.core, svn.client, svn.wc
 import codecs
-
+import subprocess
 
 print "Fixing bom in .\n"
 
-ctx = svn.client.svn_client_ctx_t()
+ctx = None
 
 tree = os.walk(".")
 
@@ -28,61 +30,78 @@ tfiles=0
 bom=codecs.BOM_UTF8
 
 
+# my own rewrite
+def my_propget(prop, path, ignored_rev, ignored_recurs, ignored_ctx):
+    "function_docstring"
+    try:
+        return subprocess.check_output(["svn", "pg", prop, path], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as cpe:
+        # now decode the error
+        if "E200005" in cpe.output:
+            # not under version control
+            return None
+        if "W200017" in cpe.output:
+            # property not found
+            return None
+        else:
+            print "On " + fp + ":\n" + cpe.output + "\n"
+            print "This error wasn't recognized by bomfix, sorry."
+            raise cpe
+
 for ent in tree:
     (path,dirs,files) = ent
     if(path.find("/.svn") != -1):
         continue
     for file in files:
         tfiles=tfiles+1
-        revision = svn.core.svn_opt_revision_t()
-        fp = os.path.abspath(path + "/" + file)
+        revision = None
+        # use relative path
+        fp = path + "/" + file
         #print "testing " + fp
-        try:
-            props = svn.client.propget("svn:mime-type", fp, revision, 0, ctx)
-            if (not props or not props[fp]): 
-                noprops = noprops + 1
-                continue
+        props = my_propget("svn:mime-type", fp, revision, 0, ctx)
+        if not props:
+            noprops = noprops + 1
+            continue
+
+        type = props
+
+        # ends with \n because of process
+        if (not type == "text/plain;charset=utf-8\n"):
+            #print fp + ": delta " + type
+            notutf8 = notutf8 + 1
+            continue
+
+        # fp is utf-8
+        utf8=utf8+1
+
+        f = open(fp, 'rb')
+        bytes=f.read(3)
+        if not bytes:
+            print fp + ": could not read 3 bytes"
+            continue
+        elif (bytes == bom):
+            #print fp + ": OK"
+            continue
+
+        f.seek(0)
+
+        os.rename(fp,fp+".tmp")
+        o=open(fp,'wb')
+        o.write(bom)
+        while(1):
+            bytes = f.read(2048)
+            if bytes:
+                o.write(bytes)
+            else:
+                break
+        o.close()
+        f.close()
+        os.remove(fp+".tmp")
+        fixed=fixed+1
+
+
+        print fp
             
-            type = props[fp]
-
-            if (not type == "text/plain;charset=utf-8"):
-                notutf8 = notutf8 + 1
-                continue
-
-            # fp is utf-8
-            utf8=utf8+1
-
-            f = open(fp, 'rb')
-            bytes=f.read(3)
-            if not bytes:
-                print fp + ": could not read 3 bytes"
-                continue
-            elif (bytes == bom):
-                #print fp + ": OK"
-                continue
-
-            f.seek(0)
-            
-            os.rename(fp,fp+".tmp")
-            o=open(fp,'wb')
-            o.write(bom)
-            while(1):
-                bytes = f.read(2048)
-                if bytes:
-                    o.write(bytes)
-                else:
-                    break
-            o.close()
-            f.close()
-            os.remove(fp+".tmp")
-            fixed=fixed+1
-            
-
-            print fp
-            
-        except svn.core.SubversionException:
-            nots = nots + 1
-            #print "Not under vc: " + fp
 
 
 print "%d files, %d not under svn, %d with no props, %d not utf8: %d utf8, %d fixed\n" % (tfiles,nots,noprops,notutf8,utf8,fixed)