diff --git a/backend/local/local.go b/backend/local/local.go
index e07ad1fa0..1063a323c 100644
--- a/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/backend/local/local.go
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ func NewFs(name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, error) {
 	f.features = (&fs.Features{
 		CaseInsensitive:         f.caseInsensitive(),
 		CanHaveEmptyDirectories: true,
+		IsLocal:                 true,
 	}).Fill(f)
 	if opt.FollowSymlinks {
 		f.lstat = os.Stat
diff --git a/fs/fs.go b/fs/fs.go
index 70e01583b..9dadc8716 100644
--- a/fs/fs.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -473,6 +473,7 @@ type Features struct {
 	SetTier                 bool // allows set tier functionality on objects
 	GetTier                 bool // allows to retrieve storage tier of objects
 	ServerSideAcrossConfigs bool // can server side copy between different remotes of the same type
+	IsLocal                 bool // is the local backend
 
 	// Purge all files in the root and the root directory
 	//