diff --git a/backend/s3/s3.go b/backend/s3/s3.go
index 11d84ece1..8040fcd14 100644
--- a/backend/s3/s3.go
+++ b/backend/s3/s3.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/configmap"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/configstruct"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/encodings"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fserrors"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fshttp"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/hash"
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/lib/rest"
 )
 
+const enc = encodings.S3
+
 // Register with Fs
 func init() {
 	fs.Register(&fs.RegInfo{
@@ -900,7 +903,8 @@ func parsePath(path string) (root string) {
 // split returns bucket and bucketPath from the rootRelativePath
 // relative to f.root
 func (f *Fs) split(rootRelativePath string) (bucketName, bucketPath string) {
-	return bucket.Split(path.Join(f.root, rootRelativePath))
+	bucketName, bucketPath = bucket.Split(path.Join(f.root, rootRelativePath))
+	return enc.FromStandardName(bucketName), enc.FromStandardPath(bucketPath)
 }
 
 // split returns bucket and bucketPath from the object
@@ -1096,9 +1100,10 @@ func NewFs(name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, error) {
 	}).Fill(f)
 	if f.rootBucket != "" && f.rootDirectory != "" {
 		// Check to see if the object exists
+		encodedDirectory := enc.FromStandardPath(f.rootDirectory)
 		req := s3.HeadObjectInput{
 			Bucket: &f.rootBucket,
-			Key:    &f.rootDirectory,
+			Key:    &encodedDirectory,
 		}
 		err = f.pacer.Call(func() (bool, error) {
 			_, err = f.c.HeadObject(&req)
@@ -1266,6 +1271,7 @@ func (f *Fs) list(ctx context.Context, bucket, directory, prefix string, addBuck
 					fs.Logf(f, "failed to URL decode %q in listing common prefix: %v", *commonPrefix.Prefix, err)
 					continue
 				}
+				remote = enc.ToStandardPath(remote)
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(remote, prefix) {
 					fs.Logf(f, "Odd name received %q", remote)
 					continue
@@ -1290,6 +1296,7 @@ func (f *Fs) list(ctx context.Context, bucket, directory, prefix string, addBuck
 				fs.Logf(f, "failed to URL decode %q in listing: %v", aws.StringValue(object.Key), err)
 				continue
 			}
+			remote = enc.ToStandardPath(remote)
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(remote, prefix) {
 				fs.Logf(f, "Odd name received %q", remote)
 				continue
@@ -1374,7 +1381,7 @@ func (f *Fs) listBuckets(ctx context.Context) (entries fs.DirEntries, err error)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	for _, bucket := range resp.Buckets {
-		bucketName := aws.StringValue(bucket.Name)
+		bucketName := enc.ToStandardName(aws.StringValue(bucket.Name))
 		f.cache.MarkOK(bucketName)
 		d := fs.NewDir(bucketName, aws.TimeValue(bucket.CreationDate))
 		entries = append(entries, d)
diff --git a/docs/content/s3.md b/docs/content/s3.md
index 21a8a2b4b..934c23bdd 100644
--- a/docs/content/s3.md
+++ b/docs/content/s3.md
@@ -268,6 +268,29 @@ side copy to update the modification if the object can be copied in a single par
 In the case the object is larger than 5Gb or is in Glacier or Glacier Deep Archive 
 storage the object will be uploaded rather than copied.
 
+#### Restricted filename characters
+
+S3 allows any valid UTF-8 string as a key.
+
+Invalid UTF-8 bytes will be [replaced](/overview/#invalid-utf8), as
+they can't be used in XML.
+
+The following characters are replaced since these are problematic when
+dealing with the REST API:
+
+| Character | Value | Replacement |
+| --------- |:-----:|:-----------:|
+| NUL       | 0x00  | ␀           |
+| /         | 0x2F  | ／           |
+
+The encoding will also encode these file names as they don't seem to
+work with the SDK properly:
+
+| File name | Replacement |
+| --------- |:-----------:|
+| .         | ．          |
+| ..        | ．．         |
+
 ### Multipart uploads ###
 
 rclone supports multipart uploads with S3 which means that it can
diff --git a/fs/encodings/encodings.go b/fs/encodings/encodings.go
index 546ab11f6..d30538583 100644
--- a/fs/encodings/encodings.go
+++ b/fs/encodings/encodings.go
@@ -240,6 +240,23 @@ const FTP = encoder.MultiEncoder(
 	uint(Display) |
 		encoder.EncodeRightSpace)
 
+// S3 is the encoding used by the s3 backend
+//
+// Any UTF-8 character is valid in a key, however it can't handle
+// invalid UTF-8 and / have a special meaning.
+//
+// The SDK can't seem to handle uploading files called '.'
+//
+// FIXME would be nice to add
+// - initial / encoding
+// - doubled / encoding
+// - trailing / encoding
+// so that AWS keys are always valid file names
+const S3 = encoder.MultiEncoder(
+	encoder.EncodeInvalidUtf8 |
+		encoder.EncodeSlash |
+		encoder.EncodeDot)
+
 // ByName returns the encoder for a give backend name or nil
 func ByName(name string) encoder.Encoder {
 	switch strings.ToLower(name) {
diff --git a/fs/encodings/encodings_noencode.go b/fs/encodings/encodings_noencode.go
index ef7547a06..aed762326 100644
--- a/fs/encodings/encodings_noencode.go
+++ b/fs/encodings/encodings_noencode.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const (
 	OneDrive           = Base
 	OpenDrive          = Base
 	Pcloud             = Base
+	S3                 = Base
 )
 
 // ByName returns the encoder for a give backend name or nil