diff --git a/backend/alias/alias.go b/backend/alias/alias.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e92135e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/alias.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package alias
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/config"
+)
+
+// Register with Fs
+func init() {
+	fsi := &fs.RegInfo{
+		Name:        "alias",
+		Description: "Alias for a existing remote",
+		NewFs:       NewFs,
+		Options: []fs.Option{{
+			Name: "remote",
+			Help: "Remote or path to alias.\nCan be \"myremote:path/to/dir\", \"myremote:bucket\", \"myremote:\" or \"/local/path\".",
+		}},
+	}
+	fs.Register(fsi)
+}
+
+// NewFs contstructs an Fs from the path.
+//
+// The returned Fs is the actual Fs, referenced by remote in the config
+func NewFs(name, root string) (fs.Fs, error) {
+	remote := config.FileGet(name, "remote")
+	if remote == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("alias can't point to an empty remote - check the value of the remote setting")
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(remote, name+":") {
+		return nil, errors.New("can't point alias remote at itself - check the value of the remote setting")
+	}
+	fsInfo, configName, fsPath, err := fs.ParseRemote(remote)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	root = filepath.ToSlash(root)
+	return fsInfo.NewFs(configName, path.Join(fsPath, root))
+}
diff --git a/backend/alias/alias_internal_test.go b/backend/alias/alias_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b7d7e750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/alias_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+package alias
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sort"
+	"testing"
+
+	_ "github.com/ncw/rclone/backend/local" // pull in test backend
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/config"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+var (
+	remoteName = "TestAlias"
+	testPath   = "test"
+	filesPath  = filepath.Join(testPath, "files")
+)
+
+func prepare(t *testing.T, root string) {
+	config.LoadConfig()
+
+	// Configure the remote
+	config.FileSet(remoteName, "type", "alias")
+	config.FileSet(remoteName, "remote", root)
+}
+
+func TestNewFS(t *testing.T) {
+	type testEntry struct {
+		remote string
+		size   int64
+		isDir  bool
+	}
+	for testi, test := range []struct {
+		remoteRoot string
+		fsRoot     string
+		fsList     string
+		wantOK     bool
+		entries    []testEntry
+	}{
+		{"", "", "", true, []testEntry{
+			{"four", -1, true},
+			{"one%.txt", 6, false},
+			{"three", -1, true},
+			{"two.html", 7, false},
+		}},
+		{"", "four", "", true, []testEntry{
+			{"five", -1, true},
+			{"under four.txt", 9, false},
+		}},
+		{"", "", "four", true, []testEntry{
+			{"four/five", -1, true},
+			{"four/under four.txt", 9, false},
+		}},
+		{"four", "..", "", true, []testEntry{
+			{"four", -1, true},
+			{"one%.txt", 6, false},
+			{"three", -1, true},
+			{"two.html", 7, false},
+		}},
+		{"four", "../three", "", true, []testEntry{
+			{"underthree.txt", 9, false},
+		}},
+	} {
+		what := fmt.Sprintf("test %d remoteRoot=%q, fsRoot=%q, fsList=%q", testi, test.remoteRoot, test.fsRoot, test.fsList)
+
+		remoteRoot, err := filepath.Abs(filepath.FromSlash(path.Join("test/files", test.remoteRoot)))
+		require.NoError(t, err, what)
+		prepare(t, remoteRoot)
+		f, err := fs.NewFs(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", remoteName, test.fsRoot))
+		require.NoError(t, err, what)
+		gotEntries, err := f.List(test.fsList)
+		require.NoError(t, err, what)
+
+		sort.Sort(gotEntries)
+
+		require.Equal(t, len(test.entries), len(gotEntries), what)
+		for i, gotEntry := range gotEntries {
+			what := fmt.Sprintf("%s, entry=%d", what, i)
+			wantEntry := test.entries[i]
+
+			require.Equal(t, wantEntry.remote, gotEntry.Remote(), what)
+			require.Equal(t, wantEntry.size, int64(gotEntry.Size()), what)
+			_, isDir := gotEntry.(fs.Directory)
+			require.Equal(t, wantEntry.isDir, isDir, what)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewFSNoRemote(t *testing.T) {
+	prepare(t, "")
+	f, err := fs.NewFs(fmt.Sprintf("%s:", remoteName))
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, f)
+}
+
+func TestNewFSInvalidRemote(t *testing.T) {
+	prepare(t, "not_existing_test_remote:")
+	f, err := fs.NewFs(fmt.Sprintf("%s:", remoteName))
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.Nil(t, f)
+}
diff --git a/backend/alias/test/files/four/five/underfive.txt b/backend/alias/test/files/four/five/underfive.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4c479deff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/test/files/four/five/underfive.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+apple
diff --git a/backend/alias/test/files/four/under four.txt b/backend/alias/test/files/four/under four.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..748393ce8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/test/files/four/under four.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+beetroot
diff --git a/backend/alias/test/files/one%.txt b/backend/alias/test/files/one%.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce0136250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/test/files/one%.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hello
diff --git a/backend/alias/test/files/three/underthree.txt b/backend/alias/test/files/three/underthree.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1031dc5b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/test/files/three/underthree.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+rutabaga
diff --git a/backend/alias/test/files/two.html b/backend/alias/test/files/two.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4bc562871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/alias/test/files/two.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+potato
diff --git a/backend/all/all.go b/backend/all/all.go
index 8a901be24..6249e68b4 100644
--- a/backend/all/all.go
+++ b/backend/all/all.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package all
 
 import (
 	// Active file systems
+	_ "github.com/ncw/rclone/backend/alias"
 	_ "github.com/ncw/rclone/backend/amazonclouddrive"
 	_ "github.com/ncw/rclone/backend/azureblob"
 	_ "github.com/ncw/rclone/backend/b2"
diff --git a/bin/make_manual.py b/bin/make_manual.py
index 6de72d79f..b7e040195 100755
--- a/bin/make_manual.py
+++ b/bin/make_manual.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ docs = [
     "overview.md",
 
     # Keep these alphabetical by full name
+    "alias.md",
     "amazonclouddrive.md",
     "s3.md",
     "b2.md",
diff --git a/docs/content/alias.md b/docs/content/alias.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77f54e099
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/alias.md
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+---
+title: "Alias"
+description: "Remote Aliases"
+date: "2018-01-30"
+---
+
+<i class="fa fa-link"></i> Alias
+-----------------------------------------
+
+The `alias` remote provides a new name for another remote.
+
+Paths may be as deep as required or a local path, 
+eg `remote:directory/subdirectory` or `/directory/subdirectory`.
+
+During the initial setup with `rclone config` you will specify the target
+remote. The target remote can either be a local path or another remote.
+
+Subfolders can be used in target remote. Asume a alias remote named `backup`
+with the target `mydrive:private/backup`. Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:desktop`
+is exactly the same as invoking `rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/desktop`.
+
+There will be no special handling of paths containing `..` segments.
+Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:../desktop` is exactly the same as invoking
+`rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/../desktop`.
+The empty path is not allowed as a remote. To alias the current directory
+use `.` instead.
+
+Here is an example of how to make a alias called `remote` for local folder.
+First run:
+
+     rclone config
+
+This will guide you through an interactive setup process:
+
+```
+No remotes found - make a new one
+n) New remote
+s) Set configuration password
+q) Quit config
+n/s/q> n
+name> remote
+Type of storage to configure.
+Choose a number from below, or type in your own value
+ 1 / Alias for a existing remote
+   \ "alias"
+ 2 / Amazon Drive
+   \ "amazon cloud drive"
+ 3 / Amazon S3 (also Dreamhost, Ceph, Minio)
+   \ "s3"
+ 4 / Backblaze B2
+   \ "b2"
+ 5 / Box
+   \ "box"
+ 6 / Cache a remote
+   \ "cache"
+ 7 / Dropbox
+   \ "dropbox"
+ 8 / Encrypt/Decrypt a remote
+   \ "crypt"
+ 9 / FTP Connection
+   \ "ftp"
+10 / Google Cloud Storage (this is not Google Drive)
+   \ "google cloud storage"
+11 / Google Drive
+   \ "drive"
+12 / Hubic
+   \ "hubic"
+13 / Local Disk
+   \ "local"
+14 / Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
+   \ "azureblob"
+15 / Microsoft OneDrive
+   \ "onedrive"
+16 / Openstack Swift (Rackspace Cloud Files, Memset Memstore, OVH)
+   \ "swift"
+17 / Pcloud
+   \ "pcloud"
+18 / QingCloud Object Storage
+   \ "qingstor"
+19 / SSH/SFTP Connection
+   \ "sftp"
+20 / Webdav
+   \ "webdav"
+21 / Yandex Disk
+   \ "yandex"
+22 / http Connection
+   \ "http"
+Storage> 1
+Remote or path to alias.
+Can be "myremote:path/to/dir", "myremote:bucket", "myremote:" or "/local/path".
+remote> /mnt/storage/backup
+Remote config
+--------------------
+[remote]
+remote = /mnt/storage/backup
+--------------------
+y) Yes this is OK
+e) Edit this remote
+d) Delete this remote
+y/e/d> y
+Current remotes:
+
+Name                 Type
+====                 ====
+remote               alias
+
+e) Edit existing remote
+n) New remote
+d) Delete remote
+r) Rename remote
+c) Copy remote
+s) Set configuration password
+q) Quit config
+e/n/d/r/c/s/q> q
+```
+
+Once configured you can then use `rclone` like this,
+
+List directories in top level in `/mnt/storage/backup`
+
+    rclone lsd remote:
+
+List all the files in `/mnt/storage/backup`
+
+    rclone ls remote:
+
+Copy another local directory to the alias directory called source
+
+    rclone copy /home/source remote:source
+
diff --git a/docs/content/docs.md b/docs/content/docs.md
index 243e1fb54..9fdfbf750 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs.md
+++ b/docs/content/docs.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ option:
 
 See the following for detailed instructions for
 
+  * [Alias](/alias/)
   * [Amazon Drive](/amazonclouddrive/)
   * [Amazon S3](/s3/)
   * [Backblaze B2](/b2/)