diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 32b76908a..303d76e8b 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func NewFsSrcDstFiles(args []string) (fsrc fs.Fs, srcFileName string, fdst fs.Fs
 	// If file exists then srcFileName != "", however if the file
 	// doesn't exist then we assume it is a directory...
 	if srcFileName != "" {
-		dstRemote, dstFileName = fspath.RemoteSplit(dstRemote)
+		dstRemote, dstFileName = fspath.Split(dstRemote)
 		if dstRemote == "" {
 			dstRemote = "."
 		}
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func NewFsSrcDstFiles(args []string) (fsrc fs.Fs, srcFileName string, fdst fs.Fs
 
 // NewFsDstFile creates a new dst fs with a destination file name from the arguments
 func NewFsDstFile(args []string) (fdst fs.Fs, dstFileName string) {
-	dstRemote, dstFileName := fspath.RemoteSplit(args[0])
+	dstRemote, dstFileName := fspath.Split(args[0])
 	if dstRemote == "" {
 		dstRemote = "."
 	}
diff --git a/fs/config/config.go b/fs/config/config.go
index 0341ccc54..b3fa43972 100644
--- a/fs/config/config.go
+++ b/fs/config/config.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/config/obscure"
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/driveletter"
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/fshttp"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/fspath"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/nacl/secretbox"
 	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
@@ -865,12 +866,12 @@ func NewRemoteName() (name string) {
 	for {
 		fmt.Printf("name> ")
 		name = ReadLine()
-		parts := fs.Matcher.FindStringSubmatch(name + ":")
+		parts := fspath.Matcher.FindStringSubmatch(name + ":")
 		switch {
 		case name == "":
 			fmt.Printf("Can't use empty name.\n")
 		case driveletter.IsDriveLetter(name):
-			fmt.Printf("Can't use %q as it can be confused a drive letter.\n", name)
+			fmt.Printf("Can't use %q as it can be confused with a drive letter.\n", name)
 		case parts == nil:
 			fmt.Printf("Can't use %q as it has invalid characters in it.\n", name)
 		default:
diff --git a/fs/fs.go b/fs/fs.go
index 0c7d81ab0..5154e9a76 100644
--- a/fs/fs.go
+++ b/fs/fs.go
@@ -9,12 +9,11 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
-	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/driveletter"
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/fspath"
 	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/hash"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -786,24 +785,20 @@ func MustFind(name string) *RegInfo {
 	return fs
 }
 
-// Matcher is a pattern to match an rclone URL
-var Matcher = regexp.MustCompile(`^([\w_ -]+):(.*)$`)
-
 // ParseRemote deconstructs a path into configName, fsPath, looking up
 // the fsName in the config file (returning NotFoundInConfigFile if not found)
 func ParseRemote(path string) (fsInfo *RegInfo, configName, fsPath string, err error) {
-	parts := Matcher.FindStringSubmatch(path)
+	configName, fsPath = fspath.Parse(path)
 	var fsName string
-	fsName, configName, fsPath = "local", "local", path
-	if parts != nil && !driveletter.IsDriveLetter(parts[1]) {
-		configName, fsPath = parts[1], parts[2]
+	if configName != "" {
 		fsName = ConfigFileGet(configName, "type")
 		if fsName == "" {
 			return nil, "", "", ErrorNotFoundInConfigFile
 		}
+	} else {
+		fsName = "local"
+		configName = "local"
 	}
-	// change native directory separators to / if there are any
-	fsPath = filepath.ToSlash(fsPath)
 	fsInfo, err = Find(fsName)
 	return fsInfo, configName, fsPath, err
 }
diff --git a/fs/fspath/path.go b/fs/fspath/path.go
index 0a1a3eb1f..65e9ec751 100644
--- a/fs/fspath/path.go
+++ b/fs/fspath/path.go
@@ -3,27 +3,46 @@ package fspath
 
 import (
 	"path"
-	"strings"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/ncw/rclone/fs/driveletter"
 )
 
-// RemoteSplit splits a remote into a parent and a leaf
+// Matcher is a pattern to match an rclone URL
+var Matcher = regexp.MustCompile(`^([\w_ -]+):(.*)$`)
+
+// Parse deconstructs a remote path into configName and fsPath
+//
+// If the path is a local path then configName will be returned as "".
+//
+// So "remote:path/to/dir" will return "remote", "path/to/dir"
+// and "/path/to/local" will return ("", "/path/to/local")
+//
+// Note that this will turn \ into / in the fsPath on Windows
+func Parse(path string) (configName, fsPath string) {
+	parts := Matcher.FindStringSubmatch(path)
+	configName, fsPath = "", path
+	if parts != nil && !driveletter.IsDriveLetter(parts[1]) {
+		configName, fsPath = parts[1], parts[2]
+	}
+	// change native directory separators to / if there are any
+	fsPath = filepath.ToSlash(fsPath)
+	return configName, fsPath
+}
+
+// Split splits a remote into a parent and a leaf
 //
 // if it returns leaf as an empty string then remote is a directory
 //
 // if it returns parent as an empty string then that means the current directory
 //
 // The returned values have the property that parent + leaf == remote
-func RemoteSplit(remote string) (parent string, leaf string) {
-	// Split remote on :
-	i := strings.Index(remote, ":")
-	remoteName := ""
-	remotePath := remote
-	if i >= 0 {
-		remoteName = remote[:i+1]
-		remotePath = remote[i+1:]
-	} else if strings.HasSuffix(remotePath, "/") {
-		// if no : and ends with / must be directory
-		return remotePath, ""
+// (except under Windows where \ will be translated into /)
+func Split(remote string) (parent string, leaf string) {
+	remoteName, remotePath := Parse(remote)
+	if remoteName != "" {
+		remoteName += ":"
 	}
 	// Construct new remote name without last segment
 	parent, leaf = path.Split(remotePath)
diff --git a/fs/fspath/path_test.go b/fs/fspath/path_test.go
index 6c3a1b294..1a50ed3f3 100644
--- a/fs/fspath/path_test.go
+++ b/fs/fspath/path_test.go
@@ -7,8 +7,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-func TestRemoteSplit(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		in, wantConfigName, wantFsPath string
+	}{
+		{"", "", ""},
+		{"/path/to/file", "", "/path/to/file"},
+		{"path/to/file", "", "path/to/file"},
+		{"remote:path/to/file", "remote", "path/to/file"},
+		{"remote:/path/to/file", "remote", "/path/to/file"},
+	} {
+		gotConfigName, gotFsPath := Parse(test.in)
+		assert.Equal(t, test.wantConfigName, gotConfigName)
+		assert.Equal(t, test.wantFsPath, gotFsPath)
+	}
+}
 
+func TestSplit(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		remote, wantParent, wantLeaf string
 	}{
@@ -27,7 +42,7 @@ func TestRemoteSplit(t *testing.T) {
 		{"root/", "root/", ""},
 		{"a/b/", "a/b/", ""},
 	} {
-		gotParent, gotLeaf := RemoteSplit(test.remote)
+		gotParent, gotLeaf := Split(test.remote)
 		assert.Equal(t, test.wantParent, gotParent, test.remote)
 		assert.Equal(t, test.wantLeaf, gotLeaf, test.remote)
 		assert.Equal(t, test.remote, gotParent+gotLeaf, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %q + %q != %q", test.remote, gotParent, gotLeaf, test.remote))