diff --git a/vfs/rc.go b/vfs/rc.go
index 081e9f5da..e6aa4bae4 100644
--- a/vfs/rc.go
+++ b/vfs/rc.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ must be supplied.`
 //
 // If "fs" is not set and there is one and only one VFS in the active
 // cache then it returns it. This is for backwards compatibility.
+//
+// This deletes the "fs" parameter from in if it is valid
 func getVFS(in rc.Params) (vfs *VFS, err error) {
 	fsString, err := in.GetString("fs")
 	if rc.IsErrParamNotFound(err) {
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ func getVFS(in rc.Params) (vfs *VFS, err error) {
 	} else if len(activeVFS) > 1 {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("more than one VFS active with name %q", fsString)
 	}
+	delete(in, "fs") // delete the fs parameter
 	return activeVFS[0], nil
 }
 
diff --git a/vfs/rc_test.go b/vfs/rc_test.go
index 0e31ef0a9..096ce5768 100644
--- a/vfs/rc_test.go
+++ b/vfs/rc_test.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ func TestRcGetVFS(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "more than one VFS active - need")
 	assert.Nil(t, vfs)
 
+	inPresent = rc.Params{"fs": fs.ConfigString(r.Fremote)}
 	vfs, err = getVFS(inPresent)
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "more than one VFS active with name")
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ func TestRcForget(t *testing.T) {
 	r, vfs, cleanup, call := rcNewRun(t, "vfs/forget")
 	defer cleanup()
 	_, _ = r, vfs
-	out, err := call.Fn(context.Background(), nil)
+	in := rc.Params{"fs": fs.ConfigString(r.Fremote)}
+	out, err := call.Fn(context.Background(), in)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, rc.Params{
 		"forgotten": []string{},
@@ -79,7 +81,8 @@ func TestRcRefresh(t *testing.T) {
 	r, vfs, cleanup, call := rcNewRun(t, "vfs/refresh")
 	defer cleanup()
 	_, _ = r, vfs
-	out, err := call.Fn(context.Background(), nil)
+	in := rc.Params{"fs": fs.ConfigString(r.Fremote)}
+	out, err := call.Fn(context.Background(), in)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, rc.Params{
 		"result": map[string]string{