diff --git a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
index dffeaceb2..2164e912c 100644
--- a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
+++ b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -266,20 +267,17 @@ func TestFsListDirRoot(t *testing.T) {
 // TestFsListSubdir tests List works for a subdirectory
 func TestFsListSubdir(t *testing.T) {
 	skipIfNotOk(t)
-	test := func(fileName string) bool {
-		dir, _ := path.Split(fileName)
-		dir = dir[:len(dir)-1]
-		objs, dirs, err := fs.NewLister().Start(remote, dir).GetAll()
-		if err == fs.ErrorDirNotFound {
-			return false
-		}
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-		require.Len(t, objs, 1)
-		assert.Equal(t, fileName, objs[0].Remote())
-		require.Len(t, dirs, 0)
-		return true
+	fileName := file2.Path
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		fileName = file2.WinPath
 	}
-	assert.True(t, test(file2.Path) || test(file2.WinPath), "normal and alternative lists failed")
+	dir, _ := path.Split(fileName)
+	dir = dir[:len(dir)-1]
+	objs, dirs, err := fs.NewLister().Start(remote, dir).GetAll()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, objs, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, fileName, objs[0].Remote())
+	require.Len(t, dirs, 0)
 }
 
 // TestFsListLevel2 tests List works for 2 levels
diff --git a/local/local.go b/local/local.go
index c9bb9f2c2..04274bcf8 100644
--- a/local/local.go
+++ b/local/local.go
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ func (f *Fs) list(out fs.ListOpts, remote string, dirpath string, level int) (su
 // Ignores everything which isn't Storable, eg links etc
 func (f *Fs) List(out fs.ListOpts, dir string) {
 	defer out.Finished()
-	root := path.Join(f.root, dir)
+	dir = filterFragment(f.cleanUtf8(dir))
+	root := filepath.Join(f.root, dir)
 	_, err := os.Stat(root)
 	if err != nil {
 		out.SetError(fs.ErrorDirNotFound)
@@ -670,11 +671,25 @@ func getDirFile(s string) (string, string) {
 	return dir, file
 }
 
-func (f *Fs) filterPath(s string) string {
+// filterFragment cleans a path fragment which is part of a bigger
+// path and not necessarily absolute
+func filterFragment(s string) string {
+	if s == "" {
+		return s
+	}
 	s = filepath.Clean(s)
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		s = strings.Replace(s, `/`, `\`, -1)
+	}
+	return s
+}
 
+// filterPath cleans and makes absolute the path passed in.
+//
+// On windows it makes the path UNC also.
+func (f *Fs) filterPath(s string) string {
+	s = filterFragment(s)
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		if !filepath.IsAbs(s) && !strings.HasPrefix(s, "\\") {
 			s2, err := filepath.Abs(s)
 			if err == nil {