diff --git a/vfs/vfscache/downloader.go b/vfs/vfscache/downloader.go
index b47b3f86b..7861f9e34 100644
--- a/vfs/vfscache/downloader.go
+++ b/vfs/vfscache/downloader.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ const (
 	maxSkipBytes = 1024 * 1024
 	// time between background kicks of waiters to pick up errors
 	backgroundKickerInterval = 5 * time.Second
+	// maximum number of errors before declaring dead
+	maxErrorCount = 10
 )
 
 // downloaders is a number of downloader~s and a queue of waiters
@@ -39,9 +41,11 @@ type downloaders struct {
 	wg     sync.WaitGroup
 
 	// Read write
-	mu      sync.Mutex
-	dls     []*downloader
-	waiters []waiter
+	mu         sync.Mutex
+	dls        []*downloader
+	waiters    []waiter
+	errorCount int   // number of consecutive errors
+	lastErr    error // last error received
 }
 
 // waiter is a range we are waiting for and a channel to signal when
@@ -104,6 +108,36 @@ func newDownloaders(item *Item, fcache fs.Fs, remote string, src fs.Object) (dls
 	return dls
 }
 
+// Accumulate errors for this downloader
+//
+// It should be called with
+//
+//   n bytes downloaded
+//   err is error from download
+//
+// call with lock held
+func (dls *downloaders) _countErrors(n int64, err error) {
+	if err == nil && n != 0 {
+		if dls.errorCount != 0 {
+			fs.Infof(dls.src, "Resetting error count to 0")
+			dls.errorCount = 0
+			dls.lastErr = nil
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		dls.errorCount++
+		dls.lastErr = err
+		fs.Infof(dls.src, "Error count now %d: %v", dls.errorCount, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (dls *downloaders) countErrors(n int64, err error) {
+	dls.mu.Lock()
+	dls._countErrors(n, err)
+	dls.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
 // Make a new downloader, starting it to download r
 //
 // call with lock held
@@ -130,8 +164,9 @@ func (dls *downloaders) _newDownloader(r ranges.Range) (dl *downloader, err erro
 	dl.wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer dl.wg.Done()
-		err := dl.download()
+		n, err := dl.download()
 		_ = dl.close(err)
+		dl.dls.countErrors(n, err)
 		if err != nil {
 			fs.Errorf(dl.dls.src, "Failed to download: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -271,6 +306,7 @@ func (dls *downloaders) _ensureDownloader(r ranges.Range) (err error) {
 	// Downloader not found so start a new one
 	dl, err = dls._newDownloader(r)
 	if err != nil {
+		dls._countErrors(0, err)
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to start downloader")
 	}
 	return err
@@ -328,8 +364,10 @@ func (dls *downloaders) kickWaiters() (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if true {
-
+	if dls.errorCount > maxErrorCount {
+		fs.Errorf(dls.src, "Too many errors %d/%d: last error: %v", dls.errorCount, maxErrorCount, dls.lastErr)
+		dls._closeWaiters(dls.lastErr)
+		return dls.lastErr
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -504,13 +542,13 @@ func (dl *downloader) stopAndClose(inErr error) (err error) {
 }
 
 // Start downloading to the local file starting at offset until maxOffset.
-func (dl *downloader) download() (err error) {
+func (dl *downloader) download() (n int64, err error) {
 	defer log.Trace(dl.dls.src, "")("err=%v", &err)
-	_, err = dl.in.WriteTo(dl)
+	n, err = dl.in.WriteTo(dl)
 	if err != nil && errors.Cause(err) != asyncreader.ErrorStreamAbandoned {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "vfs reader: failed to write to cache file")
+		return n, errors.Wrap(err, "vfs reader: failed to write to cache file")
 	}
-	return nil
+	return n, nil
 }
 
 // setRange makes sure the downloader is downloading the range passed in