diff --git a/backend/sftp/sftp.go b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
index a75d91902..305fbde98 100644
--- a/backend/sftp/sftp.go
+++ b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
@@ -1324,6 +1324,42 @@ func (f *Fs) Hashes() hash.Set {
 
 // About gets usage stats
 func (f *Fs) About(ctx context.Context) (*fs.Usage, error) {
+	// If server implements the vendor-specific VFS statistics extension prefer that
+	// (OpenSSH implements it on using syscall.Statfs on Linux and API function GetDiskFreeSpace on Windows)
+	c, err := f.getSftpConnection(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var vfsStats *sftp.StatVFS
+	if _, found := c.sftpClient.HasExtension("statvfs@openssh.com"); found {
+		fs.Debugf(f, "Server has VFS statistics extension")
+		aboutPath := f.absRoot
+		if aboutPath == "" {
+			aboutPath = "/"
+		}
+		fs.Debugf(f, "About path %q", aboutPath)
+		vfsStats, err = c.sftpClient.StatVFS(aboutPath)
+	}
+	f.putSftpConnection(&c, err) // Return to pool asap, if running shell command below it will be re-used
+	if vfsStats != nil {
+		total := vfsStats.TotalSpace()
+		free := vfsStats.FreeSpace()
+		used := total - free
+		return &fs.Usage{
+			Total: fs.NewUsageValue(int64(total)),
+			Used:  fs.NewUsageValue(int64(used)),
+			Free:  fs.NewUsageValue(int64(free)),
+		}, nil
+	} else if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		fs.Debugf(f, "Failed to retrieve VFS statistics, trying shell command instead: %v", err)
+	} else {
+		fs.Debugf(f, "Server does not have the VFS statistics extension, trying shell command instead")
+	}
+
+	// Fall back to shell command method if possible
 	if f.shellType == shellTypeNotSupported || f.shellType == "cmd" {
 		fs.Debugf(f, "About shell command is not available for shell type %q (set option shell_type to override)", f.shellType)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not supported with shell type %q", f.shellType)
diff --git a/docs/content/sftp.md b/docs/content/sftp.md
index ecd218990..a0fc7271c 100644
--- a/docs/content/sftp.md
+++ b/docs/content/sftp.md
@@ -370,17 +370,19 @@ your RClone backend configuration to disable this behaviour.
 
 ### About command
 
-SFTP supports the [about](/commands/rclone_about/) command if the
-same login has access to a Unix shell, where the `df` command is
-available (e.g. in the remote's PATH). `about` will return the
-total space, free space, and used space on the remote for the disk
-of the specified path on the remote or, if not set, the disk of
-the root on the remote. `about` will fail if it does not have
-shell access or if `df` is not found.
+The `about` command returns the total space, free space, and used
+space on the remote for the disk of the specified path on the remote or,
+if not set, the disk of the root on the remote.
 
-If the server shell is PowerShell, probably with a Windows OpenSSH
-server, rclone supports `about` using a built-in shell command
-(see [shell access](#shell-access)).
+SFTP usually supports the [about](/commands/rclone_about/) command, but
+it depends on the server. If the server implements the vendor-specific
+VFS statistics extension, which is normally the case with OpenSSH instances,
+it will be used. If not, but the same login has access to a Unix shell,
+where the `df` command is available (e.g. in the remote's PATH), then
+this will be used instead. If the server shell is PowerShell, probably
+with a Windows OpenSSH server, rclone will use a built-in shell command
+(see [shell access](#shell-access)). If none of the above is applicable,
+`about` will fail.
 
 {{< rem autogenerated options start" - DO NOT EDIT - instead edit fs.RegInfo in backend/sftp/sftp.go then run make backenddocs" >}}
 ### Standard options