diff --git a/googlecloudstorage/googlecloudstorage.go b/googlecloudstorage/googlecloudstorage.go
index 430b17a44..4218c5492 100644
--- a/googlecloudstorage/googlecloudstorage.go
+++ b/googlecloudstorage/googlecloudstorage.go
@@ -550,6 +550,10 @@ func (f *Fs) Precision() time.Duration {
 //
 // If it isn't possible then return fs.ErrorCantCopy
 func (f *Fs) Copy(src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object, error) {
+	err := f.Mkdir("")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	srcObj, ok := src.(*Object)
 	if !ok {
 		fs.Debugf(src, "Can't copy - not same remote type")
diff --git a/s3/s3.go b/s3/s3.go
index 63649e3f0..c0b34979e 100644
--- a/s3/s3.go
+++ b/s3/s3.go
@@ -755,6 +755,10 @@ func (f *Fs) Precision() time.Duration {
 //
 // If it isn't possible then return fs.ErrorCantCopy
 func (f *Fs) Copy(src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object, error) {
+	err := f.Mkdir("")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	srcObj, ok := src.(*Object)
 	if !ok {
 		fs.Debugf(src, "Can't copy - not same remote type")
@@ -769,7 +773,7 @@ func (f *Fs) Copy(src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object, error) {
 		CopySource:        &source,
 		MetadataDirective: aws.String(s3.MetadataDirectiveCopy),
 	}
-	_, err := f.c.CopyObject(&req)
+	_, err = f.c.CopyObject(&req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/swift/swift.go b/swift/swift.go
index 9fdad6514..344317e70 100644
--- a/swift/swift.go
+++ b/swift/swift.go
@@ -520,13 +520,17 @@ func (f *Fs) Purge() error {
 //
 // If it isn't possible then return fs.ErrorCantCopy
 func (f *Fs) Copy(src fs.Object, remote string) (fs.Object, error) {
+	err := f.Mkdir("")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	srcObj, ok := src.(*Object)
 	if !ok {
 		fs.Debugf(src, "Can't copy - not same remote type")
 		return nil, fs.ErrorCantCopy
 	}
 	srcFs := srcObj.fs
-	_, err := f.c.ObjectCopy(srcFs.container, srcFs.root+srcObj.remote, f.container, f.root+remote, nil)
+	_, err = f.c.ObjectCopy(srcFs.container, srcFs.root+srcObj.remote, f.container, f.root+remote, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}