diff --git a/drive/drive.go b/drive/drive.go
index 5e319077e..d1cd774a0 100644
--- a/drive/drive.go
+++ b/drive/drive.go
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ const (
 	rcloneClientId     = "202264815644.apps.googleusercontent.com"
 	rcloneClientSecret = "X4Z3ca8xfWDb1Voo-F9a7ZxJ"
 	driveFolderType    = "application/vnd.google-apps.folder"
+	RFC3339In          = time.RFC3339
+	RFC3339Out         = "2006-01-02T15:04:05.000000000Z07:00"
 )
 
 // Globals
@@ -674,7 +676,7 @@ func (f *FsDrive) ListDir() fs.DirChan {
 					Bytes: -1,
 					Count: -1,
 				}
-				dir.When, _ = time.Parse(time.RFC3339, item.ModifiedDate)
+				dir.When, _ = time.Parse(RFC3339In, item.ModifiedDate)
 				out <- dir
 				return false
 			})
@@ -711,7 +713,7 @@ func (f *FsDrive) Put(in io.Reader, remote string, modTime time.Time, size int64
 	if mimeType == "" {
 		mimeType = "application/octet-stream"
 	}
-	modifiedDate := modTime.Format(time.RFC3339Nano)
+	modifiedDate := modTime.Format(RFC3339Out)
 
 	// Define the metadata for the file we are going to create.
 	info := &drive.File{
@@ -864,7 +866,7 @@ func (o *FsObjectDrive) ModTime() time.Time {
 		fs.Log(o, "Failed to read metadata: %s", err)
 		return time.Now()
 	}
-	modTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, o.modifiedDate)
+	modTime, err := time.Parse(RFC3339In, o.modifiedDate)
 	if err != nil {
 		fs.Log(o, "Failed to read mtime from object: %s", err)
 		return time.Now()
@@ -882,7 +884,7 @@ func (o *FsObjectDrive) SetModTime(modTime time.Time) {
 	}
 	// New metadata
 	info := &drive.File{
-		ModifiedDate: modTime.Format(time.RFC3339Nano),
+		ModifiedDate: modTime.Format(RFC3339Out),
 	}
 	// Set modified date
 	_, err = o.drive.svc.Files.Update(o.id, info).SetModifiedDate(true).Do()
@@ -920,7 +922,7 @@ func (o *FsObjectDrive) Open() (in io.ReadCloser, err error) {
 func (o *FsObjectDrive) Update(in io.Reader, modTime time.Time, size int64) error {
 	info := &drive.File{
 		Id:           o.id,
-		ModifiedDate: modTime.Format(time.RFC3339Nano),
+		ModifiedDate: modTime.Format(RFC3339Out),
 	}
 
 	// Make the API request to upload metadata and file data.
diff --git a/rclonetest/rclonetest.go b/rclonetest/rclonetest.go
index ec42f7ea7..7431dda6f 100644
--- a/rclonetest/rclonetest.go
+++ b/rclonetest/rclonetest.go
@@ -145,8 +145,9 @@ func TestMkdir(flocal, fremote fs.Fs) {
 	CheckListing(fremote, items)
 }
 
-var t1 = Time("2001-02-03T04:05:06.999999999Z")
+var t1 = Time("2001-02-03T04:05:06.499999999Z")
 var t2 = Time("2011-12-25T12:59:59.123456789Z")
+var t3 = Time("2011-12-30T12:59:59.000000000Z")
 
 func TestCopy(flocal, fremote fs.Fs) {
 	WriteFile("empty space", "", t1)
@@ -198,14 +199,14 @@ func TestSync(flocal, fremote fs.Fs) {
 	// ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	log.Printf("Sync after adding a file")
-	WriteFile("potato", "------------------------------------------------------------", t1)
+	WriteFile("potato", "------------------------------------------------------------", t3)
 	err = fs.Sync(fremote, flocal, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Sync failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	items = []Item{
 		{Path: "empty space", Size: 0, ModTime: t2, Md5sum: "d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e"},
-		{Path: "potato", Size: 60, ModTime: t1, Md5sum: "d6548b156ea68a4e003e786df99eee76"},
+		{Path: "potato", Size: 60, ModTime: t3, Md5sum: "d6548b156ea68a4e003e786df99eee76"},
 	}
 	CheckListing(flocal, items)
 	CheckListing(fremote, items)
@@ -213,14 +214,14 @@ func TestSync(flocal, fremote fs.Fs) {
 	// ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	log.Printf("Sync after changing a file's size only")
-	WriteFile("potato", "smaller but same date", t1)
+	WriteFile("potato", "smaller but same date", t3)
 	err = fs.Sync(fremote, flocal, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Sync failed: %v", err)
 	}
 	items = []Item{
 		{Path: "empty space", Size: 0, ModTime: t2, Md5sum: "d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e"},
-		{Path: "potato", Size: 21, ModTime: t1, Md5sum: "100defcf18c42a1e0dc42a789b107cd2"},
+		{Path: "potato", Size: 21, ModTime: t3, Md5sum: "100defcf18c42a1e0dc42a789b107cd2"},
 	}
 	CheckListing(flocal, items)
 	CheckListing(fremote, items)
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ func TestSync(flocal, fremote fs.Fs) {
 
 	before := []Item{
 		{Path: "empty space", Size: 0, ModTime: t2, Md5sum: "d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e"},
-		{Path: "potato", Size: 21, ModTime: t1, Md5sum: "100defcf18c42a1e0dc42a789b107cd2"},
+		{Path: "potato", Size: 21, ModTime: t3, Md5sum: "100defcf18c42a1e0dc42a789b107cd2"},
 	}
 	items = []Item{
 		{Path: "empty space", Size: 0, ModTime: t2, Md5sum: "d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e"},