diff --git a/fs/fserrors/error.go b/fs/fserrors/error.go
index 556ccb398..6b8c364f8 100644
--- a/fs/fserrors/error.go
+++ b/fs/fserrors/error.go
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ func Cause(cause error) (retriable bool, err error) {
 
 		// Unwrap 1 level if possible
 		err = errors.Cause(err)
+		if err == nil {
+			// errors.Cause can return nil which isn't
+			// desirable so pick the previous error in
+			// this case.
+			err = prev
+		}
 		if err == prev {
 			// Unpack any struct or *struct with a field
 			// of name Err which satisfies the error
@@ -196,11 +202,11 @@ func Cause(cause error) (retriable bool, err error) {
 			// others in the stdlib
 			errType := reflect.TypeOf(err)
 			errValue := reflect.ValueOf(err)
-			if errType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			if errValue.IsValid() && errType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
 				errType = errType.Elem()
 				errValue = errValue.Elem()
 			}
-			if errType.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+			if errValue.IsValid() && errType.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
 				if errField := errValue.FieldByName("Err"); errField.IsValid() {
 					errFieldValue := errField.Interface()
 					if newErr, ok := errFieldValue.(error); ok {
diff --git a/fs/fserrors/error_test.go b/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
index b0aa7c21d..67f217ed3 100644
--- a/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
+++ b/fs/fserrors/error_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,15 @@ type myError2 struct {
 	Err error
 }
 
-func (e *myError2) Error() string { return e.Err.Error() }
+func (e *myError2) Error() string {
+	if e == nil {
+		return "myError2(nil)"
+	}
+	if e.Err == nil {
+		return "myError2{Err: nil}"
+	}
+	return e.Err.Error()
+}
 
 type myError3 struct {
 	Err int
@@ -53,11 +61,23 @@ type myError4 struct {
 
 func (e *myError4) Error() string { return e.e.Error() }
 
+type errorCause struct {
+	e error
+}
+
+func (e *errorCause) Error() string { return fmt.Sprintf("%#v", e) }
+
+func (e *errorCause) Cause() error { return e.e }
+
 func TestCause(t *testing.T) {
 	e3 := &myError3{3}
 	e4 := &myError4{io.EOF}
-
+	eNil1 := &myError2{nil}
+	eNil2 := &myError2{Err: (*myError2)(nil)}
 	errPotato := errors.New("potato")
+	nilCause1 := &errorCause{nil}
+	nilCause2 := &errorCause{(*myError2)(nil)}
+
 	for i, test := range []struct {
 		err           error
 		wantRetriable bool
@@ -70,10 +90,15 @@ func TestCause(t *testing.T) {
 		{errUseOfClosedNetworkConnection, false, errUseOfClosedNetworkConnection},
 		{makeNetErr(syscall.EAGAIN), true, syscall.EAGAIN},
 		{makeNetErr(syscall.Errno(123123123)), false, syscall.Errno(123123123)},
+		{eNil1, false, eNil1},
+		{eNil2, false, eNil2.Err},
 		{myError1{io.EOF}, false, io.EOF},
 		{&myError2{io.EOF}, false, io.EOF},
 		{e3, false, e3},
 		{e4, false, e4},
+		{&errorCause{errPotato}, false, errPotato},
+		{nilCause1, false, nilCause1},
+		{nilCause2, false, nilCause2.e},
 	} {
 		gotRetriable, gotErr := Cause(test.err)
 		what := fmt.Sprintf("test #%d: %v", i, test.err)