diff --git a/backend/sftp/sftp.go b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
index 13b30c539..5feb863d6 100644
--- a/backend/sftp/sftp.go
+++ b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
@@ -168,7 +168,19 @@ E.g. if shared folders can be found in directories representing volumes:
 
 E.g. if home directory can be found in a shared folder called "home":
 
-    rclone sync /home/local/directory remote:/home/directory --sftp-path-override /volume1/homes/USER/directory`,
+    rclone sync /home/local/directory remote:/home/directory --sftp-path-override /volume1/homes/USER/directory
+	
+To specify only the path to the SFTP remote's root, and allow rclone to add any relative subpaths automatically (including unwrapping/decrypting remotes as necessary), add the '@' character to the beginning of the path.
+
+E.g. the first example above could be rewritten as:
+
+	rclone sync /home/local/directory remote:/directory --sftp-path-override @/volume2
+	
+Note that when using this method with Synology "home" folders, the full "/homes/USER" path should be specified instead of "/home".
+
+E.g. the second example above should be rewritten as:
+
+	rclone sync /home/local/directory remote:/homes/USER/directory --sftp-path-override @/volume1`,
 			Advanced: true,
 		}, {
 			Name:     "set_modtime",
@@ -1763,6 +1775,9 @@ func (f *Fs) remotePath(remote string) string {
 func (f *Fs) remoteShellPath(remote string) string {
 	if f.opt.PathOverride != "" {
 		shellPath := path.Join(f.opt.PathOverride, remote)
+		if f.opt.PathOverride[0] == '@' {
+			shellPath = path.Join(strings.TrimPrefix(f.opt.PathOverride, "@"), f.absRoot, remote)
+		}
 		fs.Debugf(f, "Shell path redirected to %q with option path_override", shellPath)
 		return shellPath
 	}