diff --git a/backend/sftp/sftp.go b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
index c0cb928f5..0cda21c2f 100644
--- a/backend/sftp/sftp.go
+++ b/backend/sftp/sftp.go
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ func init() {
 Only PEM encrypted key files (old OpenSSH format) are supported. Encrypted keys
 in the new OpenSSH format can't be used.`,
 			IsPassword: true,
+		}, {
+			Name: "pubkey_file",
+			Help: `Optional path to public key file.
+
+Set this if you have a signed certificate you want to use for authentication.` + env.ShellExpandHelp,
 		}, {
 			Name: "key_use_agent",
 			Help: `When set forces the usage of the ssh-agent.
@@ -190,6 +195,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	KeyPem            string `config:"key_pem"`
 	KeyFile           string `config:"key_file"`
 	KeyFilePass       string `config:"key_file_pass"`
+	PubKeyFile        string `config:"pubkey_file"`
 	KeyUseAgent       bool   `config:"key_use_agent"`
 	UseInsecureCipher bool   `config:"use_insecure_cipher"`
 	DisableHashCheck  bool   `config:"disable_hashcheck"`
@@ -438,6 +444,7 @@ func NewFs(name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, error) {
 	}
 
 	keyFile := env.ShellExpand(opt.KeyFile)
+	pubkeyFile := env.ShellExpand(opt.PubKeyFile)
 	//keyPem := env.ShellExpand(opt.KeyPem)
 	// Add ssh agent-auth if no password or file or key PEM specified
 	if (opt.Pass == "" && keyFile == "" && !opt.AskPassword && opt.KeyPem == "") || opt.KeyUseAgent {
@@ -507,7 +514,38 @@ func NewFs(name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to parse private key file")
 		}
-		sshConfig.Auth = append(sshConfig.Auth, ssh.PublicKeys(signer))
+
+		// If a public key has been specified then use that
+		if pubkeyFile != "" {
+			certfile, err := ioutil.ReadFile(pubkeyFile)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to read cert file")
+			}
+
+			pk, _, _, _, err := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey(certfile)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to parse cert file")
+			}
+
+			// And the signer for this, which includes the private key signer
+			// This is what we'll pass to the ssh client.
+			// Normally the ssh client will use the public key built
+			// into the private key, but we need to tell it to use the user
+			// specified public key cert.  This signer is specific to the
+			// cert and will include the private key signer.  Now ssh
+			// knows everything it needs.
+			cert, ok := pk.(*ssh.Certificate)
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, errors.New("public key file is not a certificate file: " + pubkeyFile)
+			}
+			pubsigner, err := ssh.NewCertSigner(cert, signer)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error generating cert signer")
+			}
+			sshConfig.Auth = append(sshConfig.Auth, ssh.PublicKeys(pubsigner))
+		} else {
+			sshConfig.Auth = append(sshConfig.Auth, ssh.PublicKeys(signer))
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Auth from password if specified
diff --git a/docs/content/sftp.md b/docs/content/sftp.md
index bc13b1909..a354c29e2 100644
--- a/docs/content/sftp.md
+++ b/docs/content/sftp.md
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ excess files in the directory.
 The SFTP remote supports three authentication methods:
 
   * Password
-  * Key file
+  * Key file, including certificate signed keys
   * ssh-agent
 
 Key files should be PEM-encoded private key files. For instance `/home/$USER/.ssh/id_rsa`.
@@ -128,6 +128,26 @@ Using an ssh-agent is the only way to load encrypted OpenSSH keys at the moment.
 If you set the `--sftp-ask-password` option, rclone will prompt for a
 password when needed and no password has been configured.
 
+If you have a certificate then you can provide the path to the public key that contains the certificate.  For example:
+
+```
+[remote]
+type = sftp
+host = example.com
+user = sftpuser
+key_file = ~/id_rsa
+pubkey_file = ~/id_rsa-cert.pub
+````
+
+If you concatenate a cert with a private key then you can specify the
+merged file in both places.
+
+Note: the cert must come first in the file.  e.g.
+
+```
+cat id_rsa-cert.pub id_rsa > merged_key
+```
+
 ### ssh-agent on macOS ###
 
 Note that there seem to be various problems with using an ssh-agent on
@@ -234,6 +254,18 @@ in the new OpenSSH format can't be used.
 - Type:        string
 - Default:     ""
 
+#### --sftp-pubkey-file
+
+Optional path to public key file; set this if you have a signed certificate you want to use for authentication.
+
+Leading `~` will be expanded in the file name as will environment variables such as `${RCLONE_CONFIG_DIR}`.
+
+
+- Config:      pubkey_file
+- Env Var:     RCLONE_SFTP_PUBKEY_FILE
+- Type:        string
+- Default:     ""
+
 #### --sftp-key-use-agent
 
 When set forces the usage of the ssh-agent.