diff --git a/backend/s3/s3.go b/backend/s3/s3.go
index f468a5147..fc570413b 100644
--- a/backend/s3/s3.go
+++ b/backend/s3/s3.go
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@ func getClient(ctx context.Context, opt *Options) *http.Client {
 }
 
 // s3Connection makes a connection to s3
-func s3Connection(ctx context.Context, opt *Options) (*s3.S3, *session.Session, error) {
+func s3Connection(ctx context.Context, opt *Options, client *http.Client) (*s3.S3, *session.Session, error) {
 	// Make the auth
 	v := credentials.Value{
 		AccessKeyID:     opt.AccessKeyID,
@@ -1540,7 +1540,7 @@ func s3Connection(ctx context.Context, opt *Options) (*s3.S3, *session.Session,
 	awsConfig := aws.NewConfig().
 		WithMaxRetries(0). // Rely on rclone's retry logic
 		WithCredentials(cred).
-		WithHTTPClient(getClient(ctx, opt)).
+		WithHTTPClient(client).
 		WithS3ForcePathStyle(opt.ForcePathStyle).
 		WithS3UseAccelerate(opt.UseAccelerateEndpoint).
 		WithS3UsEast1RegionalEndpoint(endpoints.RegionalS3UsEast1Endpoint)
@@ -1644,7 +1644,8 @@ func NewFs(ctx context.Context, name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, e
 		md5sumBinary := md5.Sum([]byte(opt.SSECustomerKey))
 		opt.SSECustomerKeyMD5 = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(md5sumBinary[:])
 	}
-	c, ses, err := s3Connection(ctx, opt)
+	srv := getClient(ctx, opt)
+	c, ses, err := s3Connection(ctx, opt, srv)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1659,7 +1660,7 @@ func NewFs(ctx context.Context, name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, e
 		ses:   ses,
 		pacer: fs.NewPacer(ctx, pacer.NewS3(pacer.MinSleep(minSleep))),
 		cache: bucket.NewCache(),
-		srv:   getClient(ctx, opt),
+		srv:   srv,
 		pool: pool.New(
 			time.Duration(opt.MemoryPoolFlushTime),
 			int(opt.ChunkSize),
@@ -1773,7 +1774,7 @@ func (f *Fs) updateRegionForBucket(bucket string) error {
 	// Make a new session with the new region
 	oldRegion := f.opt.Region
 	f.opt.Region = region
-	c, ses, err := s3Connection(f.ctx, &f.opt)
+	c, ses, err := s3Connection(f.ctx, &f.opt, f.srv)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "creating new session failed")
 	}