diff --git a/backend/combine/combine.go b/backend/combine/combine.go
index 3fdceb128..c00f2314e 100644
--- a/backend/combine/combine.go
+++ b/backend/combine/combine.go
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ func (f *Fs) List(ctx context.Context, dir string) (entries fs.DirEntries, err e
 	if f.root == "" && dir == "" {
 		entries = make(fs.DirEntries, 0, len(f.upstreams))
 		for combineDir := range f.upstreams {
-			d := fs.NewDir(combineDir, f.when)
+			d := fs.NewLimitedDirWrapper(combineDir, fs.NewDir(combineDir, f.when))
 			entries = append(entries, d)
 		}
 		return entries, nil
@@ -1002,7 +1002,7 @@ func (f *Fs) DirSetModTime(ctx context.Context, dir string, modTime time.Time) e
 		return err
 	}
 	if uDir == "" {
-		fs.Debugf(dir, "can't set modtime on upstream root. skipping.")
+		fs.Debugf(dir, "Can't set modtime on upstream root. skipping.")
 		return nil
 	}
 	if do := u.f.Features().DirSetModTime; do != nil {
diff --git a/fs/dir_wrapper.go b/fs/dir_wrapper.go
index 9fe135703..1560961e2 100644
--- a/fs/dir_wrapper.go
+++ b/fs/dir_wrapper.go
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ import (
 
 // DirWrapper wraps a Directory object so the Remote can be overridden
 type DirWrapper struct {
-	Directory        // Directory we are wrapping
-	remote    string // name of the directory
+	Directory           // Directory we are wrapping
+	remote       string // name of the directory
+	failSilently bool   // if set, ErrorNotImplemented should not be considered an error for this directory
 }
 
 // NewDirWrapper creates a wrapper for a directory object
@@ -22,6 +23,16 @@ func NewDirWrapper(remote string, d Directory) *DirWrapper {
 	}
 }
 
+// NewLimitedDirWrapper creates a DirWrapper that should fail silently instead of erroring for ErrorNotImplemented.
+//
+// Intended for exceptional dirs lacking abilities that the Fs otherwise usually supports
+// (ex. a Combine root which can't set metadata/modtime, regardless of support by wrapped backend)
+func NewLimitedDirWrapper(remote string, d Directory) *DirWrapper {
+	dw := NewDirWrapper(remote, d)
+	dw.failSilently = true
+	return dw
+}
+
 // String returns the name
 func (d *DirWrapper) String() string {
 	return d.remote
@@ -55,6 +66,10 @@ func (d *DirWrapper) Metadata(ctx context.Context) (Metadata, error) {
 func (d *DirWrapper) SetMetadata(ctx context.Context, metadata Metadata) error {
 	do, ok := d.Directory.(SetMetadataer)
 	if !ok {
+		if d.failSilently {
+			Debugf(d, "Can't SetMetadata for this directory (%T from %v) -- skipping", d.Directory, d.Fs())
+			return nil
+		}
 		return ErrorNotImplemented
 	}
 	return do.SetMetadata(ctx, metadata)
@@ -66,6 +81,10 @@ func (d *DirWrapper) SetMetadata(ctx context.Context, metadata Metadata) error {
 func (d *DirWrapper) SetModTime(ctx context.Context, t time.Time) error {
 	do, ok := d.Directory.(SetModTimer)
 	if !ok {
+		if d.failSilently {
+			Debugf(d, "Can't SetModTime for this directory (%T from %v) -- skipping", d.Directory, d.Fs())
+			return nil
+		}
 		return ErrorNotImplemented
 	}
 	return do.SetModTime(ctx, t)