diff --git a/backend/local/clone_darwin.go b/backend/local/clone_darwin.go
index d3410ed60..bf6e5445f 100644
--- a/backend/local/clone_darwin.go
+++ b/backend/local/clone_darwin.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package local
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/go-darwin/apfs"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 //
 // If it isn't possible then return fs.ErrorCantCopy
 func (f *Fs) Copy(ctx context.Context, src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object, error) {
-	if runtime.GOOS != "darwin" || f.opt.TranslateSymlinks || f.opt.NoClone {
+	if runtime.GOOS != "darwin" || f.opt.NoClone {
 		return nil, fs.ErrorCantCopy
 	}
 	srcObj, ok := src.(*Object)
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ func (f *Fs) Copy(ctx context.Context, src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object,
 		fs.Debugf(src, "Can't clone - not same remote type")
 		return nil, fs.ErrorCantCopy
 	}
+	if f.opt.TranslateSymlinks && srcObj.translatedLink { // in --links mode, use cloning only for regular files
+		return nil, fs.ErrorCantCopy
+	}
 
 	// Fetch metadata if --metadata is in use
 	meta, err := fs.GetMetadataOptions(ctx, f, src, fs.MetadataAsOpenOptions(ctx))
@@ -44,11 +48,18 @@ func (f *Fs) Copy(ctx context.Context, src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = Clone(srcObj.path, f.localPath(remote))
+	srcPath := srcObj.path
+	if f.opt.FollowSymlinks { // in --copy-links mode, find the real file being pointed to and pass that in instead
+		srcPath, err = filepath.EvalSymlinks(srcPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = Clone(srcPath, f.localPath(remote))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	fs.Debugf(remote, "server-side cloned!")
 
 	// Set metadata if --metadata is in use
 	if meta != nil {
diff --git a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
index 82447fa6e..ea0fdc765 100644
--- a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func TestUpdatingCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	r.WriteFile(filePath, "content updated", time.Now())
 	_, err = in.Read(buf)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-
 }
 
 // Test corrupted on transfer
@@ -224,7 +223,7 @@ func TestHashOnUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "9a0364b9e99bb480dd25e1f0284c8555", md5)
 
 	// Reupload it with different contents but same size and timestamp
-	var b = bytes.NewBufferString("CONTENT")
+	b := bytes.NewBufferString("CONTENT")
 	src := object.NewStaticObjectInfo(filePath, when, int64(b.Len()), true, nil, f)
 	err = o.Update(ctx, b, src)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -395,7 +394,6 @@ func TestMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.Equal(t, "wedges", m["potato"])
 		}
 	})
-
 }
 
 func TestFilter(t *testing.T) {
@@ -572,4 +570,35 @@ func TestCopySymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	linkContents, err := os.Readlink(dstPath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "file.txt", linkContents)
+
+	// Set fs into "-L/--copy-links" mode
+	f.opt.FollowSymlinks = true
+	f.opt.TranslateSymlinks = false
+	f.lstat = os.Stat
+
+	// Create dst
+	require.NoError(t, f.Mkdir(ctx, "dst2"))
+
+	// Do copy from src into dst
+	src, err = f.NewObject(ctx, "src/link.txt")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, src)
+	dst, err = operations.Copy(ctx, f, nil, "dst2/link.txt", src)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, dst)
+
+	// Test that we made a NON-symlink and it has the right contents
+	dstPath = filepath.Join(r.LocalName, "dst2", "link.txt")
+	fi, err := os.Lstat(dstPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == 0)
+	want := fstest.NewItem("dst2/link.txt", "hello world", when)
+	fstest.CompareItems(t, []fs.DirEntry{dst}, []fstest.Item{want}, nil, f.precision, "")
+
+	// Test that copying a normal file also works
+	dst, err = operations.Copy(ctx, f, nil, "dst2/file.txt", dst)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, dst)
+	want = fstest.NewItem("dst2/file.txt", "hello world", when)
+	fstest.CompareItems(t, []fs.DirEntry{dst}, []fstest.Item{want}, nil, f.precision, "")
 }