diff --git a/cache/directory.go b/cache/directory.go
index d137e5869..3457aa2ad 100644
--- a/cache/directory.go
+++ b/cache/directory.go
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ package cache
 import (
 	"time"
 
-	"os"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs"
 )
@@ -97,8 +95,10 @@ func (d *Directory) String() string {
 func (d *Directory) Remote() string {
 	p := cleanPath(path.Join(d.Dir, d.Name))
 	if d.CacheFs.Root() != "" {
-		p = strings.Replace(p, d.CacheFs.Root(), "", 1)
-		p = strings.TrimPrefix(p, string(os.PathSeparator))
+		p = p[len(d.CacheFs.Root()):] // trim out root
+		if len(p) > 0 {               // remove first separator
+			p = p[1:]
+		}
 	}
 
 	return p
diff --git a/cache/object.go b/cache/object.go
index ceed9f583..184730b31 100644
--- a/cache/object.go
+++ b/cache/object.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -133,8 +132,10 @@ func (o *Object) String() string {
 func (o *Object) Remote() string {
 	p := path.Join(o.Dir, o.Name)
 	if o.CacheFs.Root() != "" {
-		p = strings.Replace(p, o.CacheFs.Root(), "", 1)
-		p = strings.TrimPrefix(p, string(os.PathSeparator))
+		p = p[len(o.CacheFs.Root()):] // trim out root
+		if len(p) > 0 {               // remove first separator
+			p = p[1:]
+		}
 	}
 
 	return p