diff --git a/backend/local/local.go b/backend/local/local.go
index 1a96d8036..242656c92 100644
--- a/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/backend/local/local.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import (
 // Constants
 const (
 	devUnset   = 0xdeadbeefcafebabe                                     // a device id meaning it is unset
-	linkSuffix = ".rclonelink"                                          // The suffix added to a translated symbolic link
 	useReadDir = (runtime.GOOS == "windows" || runtime.GOOS == "plan9") // these OSes read FileInfos directly
 )
 
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ Metadata is supported on files and directories.
 			},
 			{
 				Name:     "links",
-				Help:     "Translate symlinks to/from regular files with a '" + linkSuffix + "' extension.",
+				Help:     "Translate symlinks to/from regular files with a '" + fs.LinkSuffix + "' extension.",
 				Default:  false,
 				NoPrefix: true,
 				ShortOpt: "l",
@@ -379,7 +378,7 @@ type Directory struct {
 
 var (
 	errLinksAndCopyLinks = errors.New("can't use -l/--links with -L/--copy-links")
-	errLinksNeedsSuffix  = errors.New("need \"" + linkSuffix + "\" suffix to refer to symlink when using -l/--links")
+	errLinksNeedsSuffix  = errors.New("need \"" + fs.LinkSuffix + "\" suffix to refer to symlink when using -l/--links")
 )
 
 // NewFs constructs an Fs from the path
@@ -435,9 +434,9 @@ func NewFs(ctx context.Context, name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, e
 		f.dev = readDevice(fi, f.opt.OneFileSystem)
 	}
 	// Check to see if this is a .rclonelink if not found
-	hasLinkSuffix := strings.HasSuffix(f.root, linkSuffix)
+	hasLinkSuffix := strings.HasSuffix(f.root, fs.LinkSuffix)
 	if hasLinkSuffix && opt.TranslateSymlinks && os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		fi, err = f.lstat(strings.TrimSuffix(f.root, linkSuffix))
+		fi, err = f.lstat(strings.TrimSuffix(f.root, fs.LinkSuffix))
 	}
 	if err == nil && f.isRegular(fi.Mode()) {
 		// Handle the odd case, that a symlink was specified by name without the link suffix
@@ -508,8 +507,8 @@ func (f *Fs) caseInsensitive() bool {
 //
 // for regular files, localPath is returned unchanged
 func translateLink(remote, localPath string) (newLocalPath string, isTranslatedLink bool) {
-	isTranslatedLink = strings.HasSuffix(remote, linkSuffix)
-	newLocalPath = strings.TrimSuffix(localPath, linkSuffix)
+	isTranslatedLink = strings.HasSuffix(remote, fs.LinkSuffix)
+	newLocalPath = strings.TrimSuffix(localPath, fs.LinkSuffix)
 	return newLocalPath, isTranslatedLink
 }
 
@@ -692,7 +691,7 @@ func (f *Fs) List(ctx context.Context, dir string) (entries fs.DirEntries, err e
 			} else {
 				// Check whether this link should be translated
 				if f.opt.TranslateSymlinks && fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-					newRemote += linkSuffix
+					newRemote += fs.LinkSuffix
 				}
 				// Don't include non directory if not included
 				// we leave directory filtering to the layer above
diff --git a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
index b3b9b8ba1..4c769535e 100644
--- a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, lChtimes(symlinkPath, modTime2, modTime2))
 
 	// Object viewed as symlink
-	file2 := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt"+linkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime2)
+	file2 := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime2)
 
 	// Object viewed as destination
 	file2d := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt", "hello", modTime1)
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create a symlink
 	modTime3 := fstest.Time("2002-03-03T04:05:10.123123123Z")
-	file3 := r.WriteObjectTo(ctx, r.Flocal, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime3, false)
+	file3 := r.WriteObjectTo(ctx, r.Flocal, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime3, false)
 	fstest.CheckListingWithPrecision(t, r.Flocal, []fstest.Item{file1, file2, file3}, nil, fs.ModTimeNotSupported)
 	if haveLChtimes {
 		r.CheckLocalItems(t, file1, file2, file3)
@@ -155,9 +155,9 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "file.txt", linkText)
 
 	// Check that NewObject gets the correct object
-	o, err := r.Flocal.NewObject(ctx, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix)
+	o, err := r.Flocal.NewObject(ctx, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix, o.Remote())
+	assert.Equal(t, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, o.Remote())
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(8), o.Size())
 
 	// Check that NewObject doesn't see the non suffixed version
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, fs.ErrorObjectNotFound, err)
 
 	// Check that NewFs works with the suffixed version and --links
-	f2, err := NewFs(ctx, "local", filepath.Join(dir, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix), configmap.Simple{
+	f2, err := NewFs(ctx, "local", filepath.Join(dir, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix), configmap.Simple{
 		"links": "true",
 	})
 	require.Equal(t, fs.ErrorIsFile, err)
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func TestMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 	// Write a symlink to the file
 	symlinkPath := "metafile-link.txt"
 	osSymlinkPath := filepath.Join(f.root, symlinkPath)
-	symlinkPath += linkSuffix
+	symlinkPath += fs.LinkSuffix
 	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filePath, osSymlinkPath))
 	symlinkModTime := fstest.Time("2002-02-03T04:05:10.123123123Z")
 	require.NoError(t, lChtimes(osSymlinkPath, symlinkModTime, symlinkModTime))
diff --git a/fs/fs.go b/fs/fs.go
index fe68517c4..83b03f474 100644
--- a/fs/fs.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ const (
 	ModTimeNotSupported = 100 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour
 	// MaxLevel is a sentinel representing an infinite depth for listings
 	MaxLevel = math.MaxInt32
+	// The suffix added to a translated symbolic link
+	LinkSuffix = ".rclonelink"
 )
 
 // Globals