diff --git a/cmd/mountlib/file.go b/cmd/mountlib/file.go
index 9a91c9e9b..9881e4d77 100644
--- a/cmd/mountlib/file.go
+++ b/cmd/mountlib/file.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (f *File) applyPendingModTime() error {
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
 		fs.Debugf(f.o, "File.applyPendingModTime OK")
-	case fs.ErrorCantSetModTime:
+	case fs.ErrorCantSetModTime, fs.ErrorCantSetModTimeWithoutDelete:
 		// do nothing, in order to not break "touch somefile" if it exists already
 	default:
 		fs.Errorf(f.o, "File.applyPendingModTime error: %v", err)
diff --git a/dropbox/dropbox.go b/dropbox/dropbox.go
index ba885c5a7..157cf28ca 100644
--- a/dropbox/dropbox.go
+++ b/dropbox/dropbox.go
@@ -810,9 +810,9 @@ func (o *Object) ModTime() time.Time {
 // Commits the datastore
 func (o *Object) SetModTime(modTime time.Time) error {
 	// Dropbox doesn't have a way of doing this so returning this
-	// error will cause the file to be re-uploaded to set the
-	// time.
-	return fs.ErrorCantSetModTime
+	// error will cause the file to be deleted first then
+	// re-uploaded to set the time.
+	return fs.ErrorCantSetModTimeWithoutDelete
 }
 
 // Storable returns whether this object is storable
diff --git a/fs/fs.go b/fs/fs.go
index c55309a5e..bf44d1a22 100644
--- a/fs/fs.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -29,22 +29,23 @@ var (
 	// Filesystem registry
 	fsRegistry []*RegInfo
 	// ErrorNotFoundInConfigFile is returned by NewFs if not found in config file
-	ErrorNotFoundInConfigFile = errors.New("didn't find section in config file")
-	ErrorCantPurge            = errors.New("can't purge directory")
-	ErrorCantCopy             = errors.New("can't copy object - incompatible remotes")
-	ErrorCantMove             = errors.New("can't move object - incompatible remotes")
-	ErrorCantDirMove          = errors.New("can't move directory - incompatible remotes")
-	ErrorDirExists            = errors.New("can't copy directory - destination already exists")
-	ErrorCantSetModTime       = errors.New("can't set modified time")
-	ErrorDirNotFound          = errors.New("directory not found")
-	ErrorObjectNotFound       = errors.New("object not found")
-	ErrorLevelNotSupported    = errors.New("level value not supported")
-	ErrorListAborted          = errors.New("list aborted")
-	ErrorListOnlyRoot         = errors.New("can only list from root")
-	ErrorIsFile               = errors.New("is a file not a directory")
-	ErrorNotAFile             = errors.New("is a not a regular file")
-	ErrorNotDeleting          = errors.New("not deleting files as there were IO errors")
-	ErrorCantMoveOverlapping  = errors.New("can't move files on overlapping remotes")
+	ErrorNotFoundInConfigFile        = errors.New("didn't find section in config file")
+	ErrorCantPurge                   = errors.New("can't purge directory")
+	ErrorCantCopy                    = errors.New("can't copy object - incompatible remotes")
+	ErrorCantMove                    = errors.New("can't move object - incompatible remotes")
+	ErrorCantDirMove                 = errors.New("can't move directory - incompatible remotes")
+	ErrorDirExists                   = errors.New("can't copy directory - destination already exists")
+	ErrorCantSetModTime              = errors.New("can't set modified time")
+	ErrorCantSetModTimeWithoutDelete = errors.New("can't set modified time without deleting existing object")
+	ErrorDirNotFound                 = errors.New("directory not found")
+	ErrorObjectNotFound              = errors.New("object not found")
+	ErrorLevelNotSupported           = errors.New("level value not supported")
+	ErrorListAborted                 = errors.New("list aborted")
+	ErrorListOnlyRoot                = errors.New("can only list from root")
+	ErrorIsFile                      = errors.New("is a file not a directory")
+	ErrorNotAFile                    = errors.New("is a not a regular file")
+	ErrorNotDeleting                 = errors.New("not deleting files as there were IO errors")
+	ErrorCantMoveOverlapping         = errors.New("can't move files on overlapping remotes")
 )
 
 // RegInfo provides information about a filesystem
diff --git a/fs/operations.go b/fs/operations.go
index 91db8c0b4..c846bc11f 100644
--- a/fs/operations.go
+++ b/fs/operations.go
@@ -183,7 +183,14 @@ func equal(src, dst Object, sizeOnly, checkSum bool) bool {
 			// mtime of the dst object here
 			err := dst.SetModTime(srcModTime)
 			if err == ErrorCantSetModTime {
-				Debugf(src, "src and dst identical but can't set mod time without re-uploading")
+				Debugf(dst, "src and dst identical but can't set mod time without re-uploading")
+				return false
+			} else if err == ErrorCantSetModTimeWithoutDelete {
+				Debugf(dst, "src and dst identical but can't set mod time without deleting and re-uploading")
+				err = dst.Remove()
+				if err != nil {
+					Errorf(dst, "failed to delete before re-upload: %v", err)
+				}
 				return false
 			} else if err != nil {
 				Stats.Error()
diff --git a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
index fef3c55f6..4b819651a 100644
--- a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
+++ b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ func TestObjectSetModTime(t *testing.T) {
 	newModTime := fstest.Time("2011-12-13T14:15:16.999999999Z")
 	obj := findObject(t, file1.Path)
 	err := obj.SetModTime(newModTime)
-	if err == fs.ErrorCantSetModTime {
+	if err == fs.ErrorCantSetModTime || err == fs.ErrorCantSetModTimeWithoutDelete {
 		t.Log(err)
 		return
 	}