diff --git a/backend/local/local.go b/backend/local/local.go
index 25ff7fce5..115dbec0d 100644
--- a/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/backend/local/local.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import (
 
 // Constants
 const devUnset = 0xdeadbeefcafebabe                                       // a device id meaning it is unset
-const linkSuffix = ".rclonelink"                                          // The suffix added to a translated symbolic link
 const useReadDir = (runtime.GOOS == "windows" || runtime.GOOS == "plan9") // these OSes read FileInfos directly
 
 // Register with Fs
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ supported by all file systems) under the "user.*" prefix.
 			Advanced: true,
 		}, {
 			Name:     "links",
-			Help:     "Translate symlinks to/from regular files with a '" + linkSuffix + "' extension.",
+			Help:     "Translate symlinks to/from regular files with a '" + fs.LinkSuffix + "' extension.",
 			Default:  false,
 			NoPrefix: true,
 			ShortOpt: "l",
@@ -375,8 +374,8 @@ func (f *Fs) caseInsensitive() bool {
 //
 // for regular files, localPath is returned unchanged
 func translateLink(remote, localPath string) (newLocalPath string, isTranslatedLink bool) {
-	isTranslatedLink = strings.HasSuffix(remote, linkSuffix)
-	newLocalPath = strings.TrimSuffix(localPath, linkSuffix)
+	isTranslatedLink = strings.HasSuffix(remote, fs.LinkSuffix)
+	newLocalPath = strings.TrimSuffix(localPath, fs.LinkSuffix)
 	return newLocalPath, isTranslatedLink
 }
 
@@ -551,7 +550,7 @@ func (f *Fs) List(ctx context.Context, dir string) (entries fs.DirEntries, err e
 			} else {
 				// Check whether this link should be translated
 				if f.opt.TranslateSymlinks && fi.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-					newRemote += linkSuffix
+					newRemote += fs.LinkSuffix
 				}
 				fso, err := f.newObjectWithInfo(newRemote, fi)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
index 0b5d12480..9d329c943 100644
--- a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, lChtimes(symlinkPath, modTime2, modTime2))
 
 	// Object viewed as symlink
-	file2 := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt"+linkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime2)
+	file2 := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime2)
 
 	// Object viewed as destination
 	file2d := fstest.NewItem("symlink.txt", "hello", modTime1)
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create a symlink
 	modTime3 := fstest.Time("2002-03-03T04:05:10.123123123Z")
-	file3 := r.WriteObjectTo(ctx, r.Flocal, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime3, false)
+	file3 := r.WriteObjectTo(ctx, r.Flocal, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, "file.txt", modTime3, false)
 	fstest.CheckListingWithPrecision(t, r.Flocal, []fstest.Item{file1, file2, file3}, nil, fs.ModTimeNotSupported)
 	if haveLChtimes {
 		r.CheckLocalItems(t, file1, file2, file3)
@@ -136,9 +136,9 @@ func TestSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "file.txt", linkText)
 
 	// Check that NewObject gets the correct object
-	o, err := r.Flocal.NewObject(ctx, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix)
+	o, err := r.Flocal.NewObject(ctx, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "symlink2.txt"+linkSuffix, o.Remote())
+	assert.Equal(t, "symlink2.txt"+fs.LinkSuffix, o.Remote())
 	assert.Equal(t, int64(8), o.Size())
 
 	// Check that NewObject doesn't see the non suffixed version
diff --git a/fs/fs.go b/fs/fs.go
index fe68517c4..83b03f474 100644
--- a/fs/fs.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ const (
 	ModTimeNotSupported = 100 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour
 	// MaxLevel is a sentinel representing an infinite depth for listings
 	MaxLevel = math.MaxInt32
+	// The suffix added to a translated symbolic link
+	LinkSuffix = ".rclonelink"
 )
 
 // Globals