diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 
 ## toplevel
 
+### local svn repository
+
 ```
 $ python3
 repo = 'pyang-repo-r343-eol-native-mixed-lf-crlf'
@@ -63,11 +65,32 @@
 
 t = LoadSvnRepository()
 t.run(svn_url=svn_url,
-      destination_path='/tmp',
       origin_url=origin_url, visit_date='2016-05-03T15:16:32+00:00',
       start_from_scratch=True)
 ```
 
+### repository dump
+
+```
+$ python3
+repo = '0-512-md'
+archive_name = '%s-repo.svndump.gz' % repo
+archive_path = '/home/storage/svn/dumps/%s' % archive_name
+origin_url = 'http://%s.googlecode.com' % repo
+svn_url = 'file://%s' % repo
+
+import logging
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+
+from swh.loader.svn.tasks import MountAndLoadSvnRepository
+
+t = MountAndLoadSvnRepository()
+t.run(archive_path=archive_path,
+      origin_url=origin_url,
+      visit_date='2016-05-03T15:16:32+00:00',
+      start_from_scratch=True)
+```
+
 ## Production like
 
 start worker instance
@@ -116,4 +139,3 @@
 ## Produce archive of svndumps list to load
 
 see. `python3 -m swh.loader.svn.producer svn-archive --help`
-
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
@@ -544,12 +544,24 @@
     """
     def __init__(self, archive_path):
         super().__init__()
-        self.log.info('Archive to mount and load %s' % archive_path)
+        self.archive_path = archive_path
+        self.temp_dir = None
+        self.repo_path = None
+
+    def prepare(self, *, svn_url, destination_path=None,
+                swh_revision=None, start_from_scratch=False, **kwargs):
+        self.log.info('Archive to mount and load %s' % self.archive_path)
         self.temp_dir, self.repo_path = init_svn_repo_from_archive_dump(
-            archive_path,
+            self.archive_path,
             prefix=TEMPORARY_DIR_PREFIX_PATTERN,
             suffix='-%s' % os.getpid(),
             root_dir=self.temp_directory)
+        if not svn_url:
+            svn_url = 'file://%s' % self.repo_path
+        super().prepare(svn_url=svn_url, destination_path=destination_path,
+                        swh_revision=swh_revision,
+                        start_from_scratch=start_from_scratch,
+                        **kwargs)
 
     def cleanup(self):
         super().cleanup()
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tasks.py b/swh/loader/svn/tasks.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tasks.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 
 class LoadSvnRepository(Task):
-    """Import one svn repository to Software Heritage.
+    """Load an svn repository to Software Heritage.
 
     """
     task_queue = 'swh_loader_svn'
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
                  origin_url=None,
                  visit_date=None,
                  start_from_scratch=None):
-        """Import a svn repository with swh policy.
+        """Import a svn repository
 
         Args:
             args: ordered arguments (expected None)
@@ -47,18 +47,22 @@
 
 
 class MountAndLoadSvnRepository(Task):
+    """Mount an archive dump into an svn repository, then load the
+       repository to Software Heritage.
+
+    """
     task_queue = 'swh_loader_svn_mount_and_load'
 
     def run_task(self, *, archive_path, origin_url=None, visit_date=None,
                  start_from_scratch=False):
-        """1. Mount an svn dump from archive as a local svn repository.
-           2. Load it through the svn loader.
-           3. Clean up mounted svn repository archive.
+        """1. Mount an svn dump from archive as a local svn repository
+           2. Load it through the svn loader
+           3. Clean up mounted svn repository archive
 
         """
         loader = SvnLoaderFromDumpArchive(archive_path)
         loader.log = self.log
-        return loader.load(svn_url='file://%s' % loader.repo_path,
+        return loader.load(svn_url=None,
                            origin_url=origin_url,
                            visit_date=visit_date,
                            archive_path=archive_path,