diff --git a/vfs/read.go b/vfs/read.go
index 4f2cac54d..880314e5a 100644
--- a/vfs/read.go
+++ b/vfs/read.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs"
@@ -18,7 +20,8 @@ type ReadFileHandle struct {
 	baseHandle
 	done        func(err error)
 	mu          sync.Mutex
-	closed      bool // set if handle has been closed
+	cond        *sync.Cond // cond lock for out of sequence reads
+	closed      bool       // set if handle has been closed
 	r           *accounting.Account
 	readCalled  bool  // set if read has been called
 	size        int64 // size of the object (0 for unknown length)
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ func newReadFileHandle(f *File) (*ReadFileHandle, error) {
 		size:        nonNegative(o.Size()),
 		sizeUnknown: o.Size() < 0,
 	}
+	fh.cond = sync.NewCond(&fh.mu)
 	return fh, nil
 }
 
@@ -221,6 +225,40 @@ func (fh *ReadFileHandle) readAt(p []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
 		fs.Errorf(fh.remote, "ReadFileHandle.Read error: %v", EBADF)
 		return 0, ECLOSED
 	}
+	maxBuf := 1024 * 1024
+	if len(p) < maxBuf {
+		maxBuf = len(p)
+	}
+	if gap := off - fh.offset; gap > 0 && gap < int64(8*maxBuf) {
+		// Set a background timer so we don't wait for long
+		// Waits here potentially affect all seeks so need to keep them short
+		// This time here was made by finding the smallest when mounting a local backend
+		// that didn't cause seeks.
+		const maxWait = 5 * time.Millisecond
+		timeout := time.NewTimer(maxWait)
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+		abort := int32(0)
+		go func() {
+			select {
+			case <-timeout.C:
+				// set abort flag an give all the waiting goroutines a kick on timeout
+				atomic.StoreInt32(&abort, 1)
+				fs.Debugf(fh.remote, "aborting in-sequence read wait, off=%d", off)
+				fh.cond.Broadcast()
+			case <-done:
+			}
+		}()
+		for fh.offset != off && atomic.LoadInt32(&abort) == 0 {
+			fs.Debugf(fh.remote, "waiting for in-sequence read to %d for %v", off, maxWait)
+			fh.cond.Wait()
+		}
+		// tidy up end timer
+		close(done)
+		timeout.Stop()
+		if fh.offset != off {
+			fs.Debugf(fh.remote, "failed to wait for in-sequence read to %d", off)
+		}
+	}
 	doSeek := off != fh.offset
 	if doSeek && fh.noSeek {
 		return 0, ESPIPE
@@ -292,6 +330,7 @@ func (fh *ReadFileHandle) readAt(p []byte, off int64) (n int, err error) {
 			err = io.EOF
 		}
 	}
+	fh.cond.Broadcast() // wake everyone up waiting for an in-sequence read
 	return n, err
 }