diff --git a/backend/pcloud/pcloud.go b/backend/pcloud/pcloud.go
index 8654e9ffa..ec390e513 100644
--- a/backend/pcloud/pcloud.go
+++ b/backend/pcloud/pcloud.go
@@ -1107,6 +1107,12 @@ func (o *Object) Update(in io.Reader, src fs.ObjectInfo, options ...fs.OpenOptio
 		return shouldRetry(resp, err)
 	})
 	if err != nil {
+		// sometimes pcloud leaves a half complete file on
+		// error, so delete it if it exists
+		delObj, delErr := o.fs.NewObject(o.remote)
+		if delErr == nil && delObj != nil {
+			_ = delObj.Remove()
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	if len(result.Items) != 1 {
diff --git a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
index 4f2738860..5c4feb1f3 100644
--- a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
+++ b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
@@ -379,6 +379,8 @@ func Run(t *testing.T, opt *Opt) {
 	//
 	// It makes sure that aborting a file half way through does not create
 	// a file on the remote.
+	//
+	// go test -v -run 'TestIntegration/Test(Setup|Init|FsMkdir|FsPutError)$'
 	t.Run("TestFsPutError", func(t *testing.T) {
 		skipIfNotOk(t)