diff --git a/backend/drive/drive.go b/backend/drive/drive.go
index 30c165b61..e0b4abb61 100644
--- a/backend/drive/drive.go
+++ b/backend/drive/drive.go
@@ -1210,6 +1210,7 @@ func newFs(ctx context.Context, name, path string, m configmap.Mapper) (*Fs, err
 		WriteMimeType:           true,
 		CanHaveEmptyDirectories: true,
 		ServerSideAcrossConfigs: opt.ServerSideAcrossConfigs,
+		FilterAware:             true,
 	}).Fill(ctx, f)
 
 	// Create a new authorized Drive client.
diff --git a/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go b/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
index 22a84b0bb..c17da7062 100644
--- a/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
@@ -518,6 +518,9 @@ func (f *Fs) InternalTestCopyID(t *testing.T) {
 
 // TestIntegration/FsMkdir/FsPutFiles/Internal/AgeQuery
 func (f *Fs) InternalTestAgeQuery(t *testing.T) {
+	// Check set up for filtering
+	assert.True(t, f.Features().FilterAware)
+
 	opt := &filter.Opt{}
 	err := opt.MaxAge.Set("1h")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/backend/local/local.go b/backend/local/local.go
index 18763ace3..7d56d8012 100644
--- a/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/backend/local/local.go
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@ func NewFs(ctx context.Context, name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, e
 		ReadMetadata:            true,
 		WriteMetadata:           true,
 		UserMetadata:            xattrSupported, // can only R/W general purpose metadata if xattrs are supported
+		FilterAware:             true,
 	}).Fill(ctx, f)
 	if opt.FollowSymlinks {
 		f.lstat = os.Stat
diff --git a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
index 811831d91..7ecc9986b 100644
--- a/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/local/local_internal_test.go
@@ -378,6 +378,9 @@ func TestFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	r.WriteFile("excluded", "excluded file", when)
 	f := r.Flocal.(*Fs)
 
+	// Check set up for filtering
+	assert.True(t, f.Features().FilterAware)
+
 	// Add a filter
 	ctx, fi := filter.AddConfig(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, fi.AddRule("+ included"))
diff --git a/fs/features.go b/fs/features.go
index 6fce02d60..b8bbffc21 100644
--- a/fs/features.go
+++ b/fs/features.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type Features struct {
 	ReadMetadata            bool // can read metadata from objects
 	WriteMetadata           bool // can write metadata to objects
 	UserMetadata            bool // can read/write general purpose metadata
+	FilterAware             bool // can make use of filters if provided for listing
 
 	// Purge all files in the directory specified
 	//
@@ -320,6 +321,7 @@ func (ft *Features) Mask(ctx context.Context, f Fs) *Features {
 	// ft.IsLocal = ft.IsLocal && mask.IsLocal Don't propagate IsLocal
 	ft.SlowModTime = ft.SlowModTime && mask.SlowModTime
 	ft.SlowHash = ft.SlowHash && mask.SlowHash
+	ft.FilterAware = ft.FilterAware && mask.FilterAware
 
 	if mask.Purge == nil {
 		ft.Purge = nil
diff --git a/fs/march/march.go b/fs/march/march.go
index db045156d..771f079f4 100644
--- a/fs/march/march.go
+++ b/fs/march/march.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func (m *March) makeListDir(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, includeAll bool) listD
 	if !(ci.UseListR && f.Features().ListR != nil) && // !--fast-list active and
 		!(ci.NoTraverse && fi.HaveFilesFrom()) { // !(--files-from and --no-traverse)
 		return func(dir string) (entries fs.DirEntries, err error) {
-			dirCtx := filter.SetUseFilter(m.Ctx, !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
+			dirCtx := filter.SetUseFilter(m.Ctx, f.Features().FilterAware && !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
 			return list.DirSorted(dirCtx, f, includeAll, dir)
 		}
 	}
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (m *March) makeListDir(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, includeAll bool) listD
 		mu.Lock()
 		defer mu.Unlock()
 		if !started {
-			dirCtx := filter.SetUseFilter(m.Ctx, !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
+			dirCtx := filter.SetUseFilter(m.Ctx, f.Features().FilterAware && !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
 			dirs, dirsErr = walk.NewDirTree(dirCtx, f, m.Dir, includeAll, ci.MaxDepth)
 			started = true
 		}
diff --git a/fs/walk/walk.go b/fs/walk/walk.go
index f63350a47..01251ea1b 100644
--- a/fs/walk/walk.go
+++ b/fs/walk/walk.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ type Func func(path string, entries fs.DirEntries, err error) error
 func Walk(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, path string, includeAll bool, maxLevel int, fn Func) error {
 	ci := fs.GetConfig(ctx)
 	fi := filter.GetConfig(ctx)
-	ctx = filter.SetUseFilter(ctx, !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
+	ctx = filter.SetUseFilter(ctx, f.Features().FilterAware && !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
 	if ci.NoTraverse && fi.HaveFilesFrom() {
 		return walkR(ctx, f, path, includeAll, maxLevel, fn, fi.MakeListR(ctx, f.NewObject))
 	}
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func ListR(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, path string, includeAll bool, maxLevel
 		fi.UsesDirectoryFilters() { // ...using any directory filters
 		return listRwalk(ctx, f, path, includeAll, maxLevel, listType, fn)
 	}
-	ctx = filter.SetUseFilter(ctx, !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
+	ctx = filter.SetUseFilter(ctx, f.Features().FilterAware && !includeAll) // make filter-aware backends constrain List
 	return listR(ctx, f, path, includeAll, listType, fn, doListR, listType.Dirs() && f.Features().BucketBased)
 }