diff --git a/lib/file/file.go b/lib/file/file.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a82c144e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/file/file.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Package file provides a version of os.OpenFile, the handles of
+// which can be renamed and deleted under Windows.
+package file
+
+import "os"
+
+// Open opens the named file for reading. If successful, methods on
+// the returned file can be used for reading; the associated file
+// descriptor has mode O_RDONLY.
+// If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
+func Open(name string) (*os.File, error) {
+	return OpenFile(name, os.O_RDONLY, 0)
+}
+
+// Create creates the named file with mode 0666 (before umask), truncating
+// it if it already exists. If successful, methods on the returned
+// File can be used for I/O; the associated file descriptor has mode
+// O_RDWR.
+// If there is an error, it will be of type *PathError.
+func Create(name string) (*os.File, error) {
+	return OpenFile(name, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0666)
+}
diff --git a/lib/file/file_other.go b/lib/file/file_other.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..16de15847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/file/file_other.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+//+build !windows
+
+package file
+
+import "os"
+
+// OpenFile is the generalized open call; most users will use Open or Create
+// instead. It opens the named file with specified flag (O_RDONLY etc.) and
+// perm (before umask), if applicable. If successful, methods on the returned
+// File can be used for I/O. If there is an error, it will be of type
+// *PathError.
+//
+// Under both Unix and Windows this will allow open files to be
+// renamed and or deleted.
+var OpenFile = os.OpenFile
diff --git a/lib/file/file_test.go b/lib/file/file_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f4e05121
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/file/file_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+package file
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// Create a test directory then tidy up
+func testDir(t *testing.T) (string, func()) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rclone-test")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return dir, func() {
+		assert.NoError(t, os.RemoveAll(dir))
+	}
+}
+
+// This lists dir and checks the listing is as expected without checking the size
+func checkListingNoSize(t *testing.T, dir string, want []string) {
+	var got []string
+	nodes, err := ioutil.ReadDir(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	for _, node := range nodes {
+		got = append(got, fmt.Sprintf("%s,%v", node.Name(), node.IsDir()))
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, want, got)
+}
+
+// This lists dir and checks the listing is as expected
+func checkListing(t *testing.T, dir string, want []string) {
+	var got []string
+	nodes, err := ioutil.ReadDir(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	for _, node := range nodes {
+		got = append(got, fmt.Sprintf("%s,%d,%v", node.Name(), node.Size(), node.IsDir()))
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, want, got)
+}
+
+// Test we can rename an open file
+func TestOpenFileRename(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, tidy := testDir(t)
+	defer tidy()
+
+	filepath := path.Join(dir, "file1")
+	f, err := Create(filepath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = f.Write([]byte("hello"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	checkListingNoSize(t, dir, []string{
+		"file1,false",
+	})
+
+	// Delete the file first
+	assert.NoError(t, os.Remove(filepath))
+
+	// .. then close it
+	assert.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+	checkListing(t, dir, nil)
+}
+
+// Test we can delete an open file
+func TestOpenFileDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, tidy := testDir(t)
+	defer tidy()
+
+	filepath := path.Join(dir, "file1")
+	f, err := Create(filepath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = f.Write([]byte("hello"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	checkListingNoSize(t, dir, []string{
+		"file1,false",
+	})
+
+	// Rename the file while open
+	filepath2 := path.Join(dir, "file2")
+	assert.NoError(t, os.Rename(filepath, filepath2))
+
+	checkListingNoSize(t, dir, []string{
+		"file2,false",
+	})
+
+	// .. then close it
+	assert.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+	checkListing(t, dir, []string{
+		"file2,5,false",
+	})
+}
+
+// Smoke test the Open, OpenFile and Create functions
+func TestOpenFileOperations(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, tidy := testDir(t)
+	defer tidy()
+
+	filepath := path.Join(dir, "file1")
+
+	// Create the file
+
+	f, err := Create(filepath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = f.Write([]byte("hello"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+	checkListing(t, dir, []string{
+		"file1,5,false",
+	})
+
+	// Append onto the file
+
+	f, err = OpenFile(filepath, os.O_RDWR|os.O_APPEND, 0666)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = f.Write([]byte("HI"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+	checkListing(t, dir, []string{
+		"file1,7,false",
+	})
+
+	// Read it back in
+
+	f, err = Open(filepath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	var b = make([]byte, 10)
+	n, err := f.Read(b)
+	assert.True(t, err == io.EOF || err == nil)
+	assert.Equal(t, 7, n)
+	assert.Equal(t, "helloHI", string(b[:n]))
+
+	assert.NoError(t, f.Close())
+
+	checkListing(t, dir, []string{
+		"file1,7,false",
+	})
+
+}
diff --git a/lib/file/file_windows.go b/lib/file/file_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29a6fad0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/file/file_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+//+build windows
+
+package file
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+// OpenFile is the generalized open call; most users will use Open or Create
+// instead. It opens the named file with specified flag (O_RDONLY etc.) and
+// perm (before umask), if applicable. If successful, methods on the returned
+// File can be used for I/O. If there is an error, it will be of type
+// *PathError.
+//
+// Under both Unix and Windows this will allow open files to be
+// renamed and or deleted.
+func OpenFile(path string, mode int, perm os.FileMode) (*os.File, error) {
+	// This code copied from syscall_windows.go in the go source and then
+	// modified to support renaming and deleting open files by adding
+	// FILE_SHARE_DELETE.
+	//
+	// https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/api/fileapi/nf-fileapi-createfilea#file_share_delete
+	if len(path) == 0 {
+		return nil, syscall.ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
+	}
+	pathp, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var access uint32
+	switch mode & (syscall.O_RDONLY | syscall.O_WRONLY | syscall.O_RDWR) {
+	case syscall.O_RDONLY:
+		access = syscall.GENERIC_READ
+	case syscall.O_WRONLY:
+		access = syscall.GENERIC_WRITE
+	case syscall.O_RDWR:
+		access = syscall.GENERIC_READ | syscall.GENERIC_WRITE
+	}
+	if mode&syscall.O_CREAT != 0 {
+		access |= syscall.GENERIC_WRITE
+	}
+	if mode&syscall.O_APPEND != 0 {
+		access &^= syscall.GENERIC_WRITE
+		access |= syscall.FILE_APPEND_DATA
+	}
+	sharemode := uint32(syscall.FILE_SHARE_READ | syscall.FILE_SHARE_WRITE | syscall.FILE_SHARE_DELETE)
+	var createmode uint32
+	switch {
+	case mode&(syscall.O_CREAT|syscall.O_EXCL) == (syscall.O_CREAT | syscall.O_EXCL):
+		createmode = syscall.CREATE_NEW
+	case mode&(syscall.O_CREAT|syscall.O_TRUNC) == (syscall.O_CREAT | syscall.O_TRUNC):
+		createmode = syscall.CREATE_ALWAYS
+	case mode&syscall.O_CREAT == syscall.O_CREAT:
+		createmode = syscall.OPEN_ALWAYS
+	case mode&syscall.O_TRUNC == syscall.O_TRUNC:
+		createmode = syscall.TRUNCATE_EXISTING
+	default:
+		createmode = syscall.OPEN_EXISTING
+	}
+	h, e := syscall.CreateFile(pathp, access, sharemode, nil, createmode, syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, 0)
+	if e != nil {
+		return nil, e
+	}
+	return os.NewFile(uintptr(h), path), nil
+}