diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index b174f3fa4..b8a8e6f62 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -230,22 +230,31 @@ func Run(Retry bool, showStats bool, cmd *cobra.Command, f func() error) {
 	SigInfoHandler()
 	for try := 1; try <= *retries; try++ {
 		err = f()
-		if !Retry || (err == nil && !accounting.Stats.Errored()) {
+		fs.CountError(err)
+		if !Retry || !accounting.Stats.Errored() {
 			if try > 1 {
 				fs.Errorf(nil, "Attempt %d/%d succeeded", try, *retries)
 			}
 			break
 		}
-		if fserrors.IsFatalError(err) || accounting.Stats.HadFatalError() {
+		if accounting.Stats.HadFatalError() {
 			fs.Errorf(nil, "Fatal error received - not attempting retries")
 			break
 		}
-		if fserrors.IsNoRetryError(err) || (accounting.Stats.Errored() && !accounting.Stats.HadRetryError()) {
+		if accounting.Stats.Errored() && !accounting.Stats.HadRetryError() {
 			fs.Errorf(nil, "Can't retry this error - not attempting retries")
 			break
 		}
-		if err != nil {
-			fs.Errorf(nil, "Attempt %d/%d failed with %d errors and: %v", try, *retries, accounting.Stats.GetErrors(), err)
+		if retryAfter := accounting.Stats.RetryAfter(); !retryAfter.IsZero() {
+			d := retryAfter.Sub(time.Now())
+			if d > 0 {
+				fs.Logf(nil, "Received retry after error - sleeping until %s (%v)", retryAfter.Format(time.RFC3339Nano), d)
+				time.Sleep(d)
+			}
+		}
+		lastErr := accounting.Stats.GetLastError()
+		if lastErr != nil {
+			fs.Errorf(nil, "Attempt %d/%d failed with %d errors and: %v", try, *retries, accounting.Stats.GetErrors(), lastErr)
 		} else {
 			fs.Errorf(nil, "Attempt %d/%d failed with %d errors", try, *retries, accounting.Stats.GetErrors())
 		}
diff --git a/fs/accounting/stats.go b/fs/accounting/stats.go
index 565d16327..752cb8b00 100644
--- a/fs/accounting/stats.go
+++ b/fs/accounting/stats.go
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ type StatsInfo struct {
 	lastError         error
 	fatalError        bool
 	retryError        bool
+	retryAfter        time.Time
 	checks            int64
 	checking          *stringSet
 	checkQueue        int
@@ -373,6 +374,7 @@ func (s *StatsInfo) ResetCounters() {
 	s.lastError = nil
 	s.fatalError = false
 	s.retryError = false
+	s.retryAfter = time.Time{}
 	s.checks = 0
 	s.transfers = 0
 	s.deletes = 0
@@ -386,6 +388,7 @@ func (s *StatsInfo) ResetErrors() {
 	s.lastError = nil
 	s.fatalError = false
 	s.retryError = false
+	s.retryAfter = time.Time{}
 }
 
 // Errored returns whether there have been any errors
@@ -397,6 +400,9 @@ func (s *StatsInfo) Errored() bool {
 
 // Error adds a single error into the stats, assigns lastError and eventually sets fatalError or retryError
 func (s *StatsInfo) Error(err error) {
+	if err == nil {
+		return
+	}
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
 	s.errors++
@@ -404,11 +410,25 @@ func (s *StatsInfo) Error(err error) {
 	switch {
 	case fserrors.IsFatalError(err):
 		s.fatalError = true
+	case fserrors.IsRetryAfterError(err):
+		retryAfter := fserrors.RetryAfterErrorTime(err)
+		if s.retryAfter.IsZero() || retryAfter.Sub(s.retryAfter) > 0 {
+			s.retryAfter = retryAfter
+		}
+		s.retryError = true
 	case !fserrors.IsNoRetryError(err):
 		s.retryError = true
 	}
 }
 
+// RetryAfter returns the time to retry after if it is set.  It will
+// be Zero if it isn't set.
+func (s *StatsInfo) RetryAfter() time.Time {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	return s.retryAfter
+}
+
 // Checking adds a check into the stats
 func (s *StatsInfo) Checking(remote string) {
 	s.checking.add(remote)
diff --git a/fs/accounting/stats_test.go b/fs/accounting/stats_test.go
index d7f5e852f..af5eeebcd 100644
--- a/fs/accounting/stats_test.go
+++ b/fs/accounting/stats_test.go
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ package accounting
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/fserrors"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -49,3 +52,68 @@ func TestPercentage(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, percent(-100, 100), "-")
 	assert.Equal(t, percent(-100, -100), "-")
 }
+
+func TestStatsError(t *testing.T) {
+	s := NewStats()
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, nil, s.GetLastError())
+	assert.False(t, s.Errored())
+
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	t1 := t0.Add(time.Second)
+
+	s.Error(nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, nil, s.GetLastError())
+	assert.False(t, s.Errored())
+
+	s.Error(io.EOF)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.True(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, io.EOF, s.GetLastError())
+	assert.True(t, s.Errored())
+
+	e := fserrors.ErrorRetryAfter(t0)
+	s.Error(e)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(2), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.True(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, t0, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, e, s.GetLastError())
+
+	err := errors.Wrap(fserrors.ErrorRetryAfter(t1), "potato")
+	s.Error(err)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(3), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.True(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, t1, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, t1, fserrors.RetryAfterErrorTime(err))
+
+	s.Error(fserrors.FatalError(io.EOF))
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(4), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.True(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.True(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, t1, s.RetryAfter())
+
+	s.ResetErrors()
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, s.RetryAfter())
+	assert.Equal(t, nil, s.GetLastError())
+	assert.False(t, s.Errored())
+
+	s.Error(fserrors.NoRetryError(io.EOF))
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(1), s.GetErrors())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadFatalError())
+	assert.False(t, s.HadRetryError())
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, s.RetryAfter())
+}
diff --git a/fs/fserrors/error.go b/fs/fserrors/error.go
index 39fd9fb64..e5eb89d49 100644
--- a/fs/fserrors/error.go
+++ b/fs/fserrors/error.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -166,6 +167,58 @@ func IsNoRetryError(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// RetryAfter is an optional interface for error as to whether the
+// operation should be retried after a given delay
+//
+// This should be returned from Update or Put methods as required and
+// will cause the entire sync to be retried after a delay.
+type RetryAfter interface {
+	error
+	RetryAfter() time.Time
+}
+
+// ErrorRetryAfter is an error which expresses a time that should be
+// waited for until trying again
+type ErrorRetryAfter time.Time
+
+// NewErrorRetryAfter returns an ErrorRetryAfter with the given
+// duration as an endpoint
+func NewErrorRetryAfter(d time.Duration) ErrorRetryAfter {
+	return ErrorRetryAfter(time.Now().Add(d))
+}
+
+// Error returns the textual version of the error
+func (e ErrorRetryAfter) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("try again after %v (%v)", time.Time(e).Format(time.RFC3339Nano), time.Time(e).Sub(time.Now()))
+}
+
+// RetryAfter returns the time the operation should be retried at or
+// after
+func (e ErrorRetryAfter) RetryAfter() time.Time {
+	return time.Time(e)
+}
+
+// Check interface
+var _ RetryAfter = ErrorRetryAfter{}
+
+// RetryAfterErrorTime returns the time that the RetryAfter error
+// indicates or a Zero time.Time
+func RetryAfterErrorTime(err error) time.Time {
+	if err == nil {
+		return time.Time{}
+	}
+	_, err = Cause(err)
+	if do, ok := err.(RetryAfter); ok {
+		return do.RetryAfter()
+	}
+	return time.Time{}
+}
+
+// IsRetryAfterError returns true if err is an ErrorRetryAfter
+func IsRetryAfterError(err error) bool {
+	return !RetryAfterErrorTime(err).IsZero()
+}
+
 // Cause is a souped up errors.Cause which can unwrap some standard
 // library errors too.  It returns true if any of the intermediate
 // errors had a Timeout() or Temporary() method which returned true.
diff --git a/fs/fserrors/error_test.go b/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
index 67f217ed3..93ffcaa67 100644
--- a/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
+++ b/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -143,3 +144,21 @@ func TestShouldRetry(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, test.want, got, fmt.Sprintf("test #%d: %v", i, test.err))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRetryAfter(t *testing.T) {
+	e := NewErrorRetryAfter(time.Second)
+	after := e.RetryAfter()
+	dt := after.Sub(time.Now())
+	assert.True(t, dt >= 900*time.Millisecond && dt <= 1100*time.Millisecond)
+	assert.True(t, IsRetryAfterError(e))
+	assert.False(t, IsRetryAfterError(io.EOF))
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Time{}, RetryAfterErrorTime(io.EOF))
+	assert.False(t, IsRetryAfterError(nil))
+	assert.Contains(t, e.Error(), "try again after")
+
+	t0 := time.Now()
+	err := errors.Wrap(ErrorRetryAfter(t0), "potato")
+	assert.Equal(t, t0, RetryAfterErrorTime(err))
+	assert.True(t, IsRetryAfterError(err))
+	assert.Contains(t, e.Error(), "try again after")
+}
diff --git a/fs/sync/sync_test.go b/fs/sync/sync_test.go
index 9472be1e0..0456945ef 100644
--- a/fs/sync/sync_test.go
+++ b/fs/sync/sync_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/hash"
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/operations"
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fstest"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
@@ -468,7 +469,7 @@ func TestSyncIgnoreErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 	accounting.Stats.ResetCounters()
-	fs.CountError(nil)
+	fs.CountError(errors.New("boom"))
 	assert.NoError(t, Sync(r.Fremote, r.Flocal, false))
 
 	fstest.CheckListingWithPrecision(
@@ -778,7 +779,7 @@ func TestSyncAfterRemovingAFileAndAddingAFileSubDirWithErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 	accounting.Stats.ResetCounters()
-	fs.CountError(nil)
+	fs.CountError(errors.New("boom"))
 	err := Sync(r.Fremote, r.Flocal, false)
 	assert.Equal(t, fs.ErrorNotDeleting, err)