diff --git a/backend/smb/connpool.go b/backend/smb/connpool.go
index 2c3fb2f80..1120533a8 100644
--- a/backend/smb/connpool.go
+++ b/backend/smb/connpool.go
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ package smb
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	smb2 "github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2"
@@ -11,14 +13,17 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/accounting"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/obscure"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fshttp"
+	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 )
 
 // dial starts a client connection to the given SMB server. It is a
 // convenience function that connects to the given network address,
 // initiates the SMB handshake, and then sets up a Client.
+//
+// The context is only used for establishing the connection, not after.
 func (f *Fs) dial(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (*conn, error) {
 	dialer := fshttp.NewDialer(ctx)
-	tconn, err := dialer.Dial(network, addr)
+	tconn, err := dialer.DialContext(ctx, network, addr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -89,15 +94,7 @@ func (c *conn) close() (err error) {
 
 // True if it's closed
 func (c *conn) closed() bool {
-	var nopErr error
-	if c.smbShare != nil {
-		// stat the current directory
-		_, nopErr = c.smbShare.Stat(".")
-	} else {
-		// list the shares
-		_, nopErr = c.smbSession.ListSharenames()
-	}
-	return nopErr != nil
+	return c.smbSession.Echo() != nil
 }
 
 // Show that we are using a SMB session
@@ -118,23 +115,20 @@ func (f *Fs) getSessions() int32 {
 }
 
 // Open a new connection to the SMB server.
+//
+// The context is only used for establishing the connection, not after.
 func (f *Fs) newConnection(ctx context.Context, share string) (c *conn, err error) {
-	// As we are pooling these connections we need to decouple
-	// them from the current context
-	bgCtx := context.Background()
-
-	c, err = f.dial(bgCtx, "tcp", f.opt.Host+":"+f.opt.Port)
+	c, err = f.dial(ctx, "tcp", f.opt.Host+":"+f.opt.Port)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't connect SMB: %w", err)
 	}
 	if share != "" {
 		// mount the specified share as well if user requested
-		c.smbShare, err = c.smbSession.Mount(share)
+		err = c.mountShare(share)
 		if err != nil {
 			_ = c.smbSession.Logoff()
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't initialize SMB: %w", err)
 		}
-		c.smbShare = c.smbShare.WithContext(bgCtx)
 	}
 	return c, nil
 }
@@ -192,23 +186,30 @@ func (f *Fs) getConnection(ctx context.Context, share string) (c *conn, err erro
 // Return a SMB connection to the pool
 //
 // It nils the pointed to connection out so it can't be reused
-func (f *Fs) putConnection(pc **conn) {
-	c := *pc
-	*pc = nil
-
-	var nopErr error
-	if c.smbShare != nil {
-		// stat the current directory
-		_, nopErr = c.smbShare.Stat(".")
-	} else {
-		// list the shares
-		_, nopErr = c.smbSession.ListSharenames()
-	}
-	if nopErr != nil {
-		fs.Debugf(f, "Connection failed, closing: %v", nopErr)
-		_ = c.close()
+//
+// if err is not nil then it checks the connection is alive using an
+// ECHO request
+func (f *Fs) putConnection(pc **conn, err error) {
+	if pc == nil {
 		return
 	}
+	c := *pc
+	if c == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	*pc = nil
+	if err != nil {
+		// If not a regular SMB error then check the connection
+		if !(errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) || errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) || errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission)) {
+			echoErr := c.smbSession.Echo()
+			if echoErr != nil {
+				fs.Debugf(f, "Connection failed, closing: %v", echoErr)
+				_ = c.close()
+				return
+			}
+			fs.Debugf(f, "Connection OK after error: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
 
 	f.poolMu.Lock()
 	f.pool = append(f.pool, c)
@@ -235,15 +236,18 @@ func (f *Fs) drainPool(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	if len(f.pool) != 0 {
 		fs.Debugf(f, "Closing %d unused connections", len(f.pool))
 	}
+
+	g, _ := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	for i, c := range f.pool {
-		if !c.closed() {
-			cErr := c.close()
-			if cErr != nil {
-				err = cErr
+		g.Go(func() (err error) {
+			if !c.closed() {
+				err = c.close()
 			}
-		}
-		f.pool[i] = nil
+			f.pool[i] = nil
+			return err
+		})
 	}
+	err = g.Wait()
 	f.pool = nil
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/backend/smb/smb.go b/backend/smb/smb.go
index 0fb1df8b9..c6911fb76 100644
--- a/backend/smb/smb.go
+++ b/backend/smb/smb.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	minSleep      = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	minSleep      = 10 * time.Millisecond
 	maxSleep      = 2 * time.Second
 	decayConstant = 2 // bigger for slower decay, exponential
 )
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func NewFs(ctx context.Context, name, root string, m configmap.Mapper) (fs.Fs, e
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	stat, err := cn.smbShare.Stat(f.toSambaPath(dir))
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	if err != nil {
 		// ignore stat error here
 		return f, nil
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func (f *Fs) findObjectSeparate(ctx context.Context, share, path string) (fs.Obj
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	stat, err := cn.smbShare.Stat(f.toSambaPath(path))
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, translateError(err, false)
 	}
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ func (f *Fs) Mkdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 	err = cn.smbShare.MkdirAll(f.toSambaPath(path), 0o755)
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func (f *Fs) Rmdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	err = cn.smbShare.Remove(f.toSambaPath(path))
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ func (f *Fs) Move(ctx context.Context, src fs.Object, remote string) (_ fs.Objec
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	err = cn.smbShare.Rename(f.toSambaPath(srcPath), f.toSambaPath(dstPath))
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, translateError(err, false)
 	}
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ func (f *Fs) DirMove(ctx context.Context, src fs.Fs, srcRemote, dstRemote string
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer f.putConnection(&cn)
+	defer f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 
 	_, err = cn.smbShare.Stat(dstPath)
 	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ func (f *Fs) List(ctx context.Context, dir string) (entries fs.DirEntries, err e
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer f.putConnection(&cn)
+	defer f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 
 	if share == "" {
 		shares, err := cn.smbSession.ListSharenames()
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ func (f *Fs) About(ctx context.Context) (_ *fs.Usage, err error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	stat, err := cn.smbShare.Statfs(dir)
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ func (f *Fs) ensureDirectory(ctx context.Context, share, _path string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	err = cn.smbShare.MkdirAll(f.toSambaPath(dir), 0o755)
-	f.putConnection(&cn)
+	f.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ func (o *Object) SetModTime(ctx context.Context, t time.Time) (err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+	defer o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
 
 	err = cn.smbShare.Chtimes(reqDir, t, t)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -650,24 +650,25 @@ func (o *Object) Open(ctx context.Context, options ...fs.OpenOption) (in io.Read
 	}
 	fl, err := cn.smbShare.OpenFile(filename, os.O_RDONLY, 0)
 	if err != nil {
-		o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+		o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to open: %w", err)
 	}
 	pos, err := fl.Seek(offset, io.SeekStart)
 	if err != nil {
-		o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+		o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to seek: %w", err)
 	}
 	if pos != offset {
-		o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to seek: wrong position (expected=%d, reported=%d)", offset, pos)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("failed to seek: wrong position (expected=%d, reported=%d)", offset, pos)
+		o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	in = readers.NewLimitedReadCloser(fl, limit)
 	in = &boundReadCloser{
 		rc: in,
 		close: func() error {
-			o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+			o.fs.putConnection(&cn, nil)
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -697,7 +698,7 @@ func (o *Object) Update(ctx context.Context, in io.Reader, src fs.ObjectInfo, op
 		return err
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+		o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
 	}()
 
 	fl, err := cn.smbShare.OpenFile(filename, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0o644)
@@ -757,7 +758,7 @@ func (o *Object) Remove(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 	}
 
 	err = cn.smbShare.Remove(filename)
-	o.fs.putConnection(&cn)
+	o.fs.putConnection(&cn, err)
 
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b02c39149..08a076848 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.22.1
 	github.com/buengese/sgzip v0.1.1
 	github.com/cloudinary/cloudinary-go/v2 v2.9.0
-	github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20241223203758-52b943b88fd6
+	github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20250124173933-e6bbeea507ed
 	github.com/colinmarc/hdfs/v2 v2.4.0
 	github.com/coreos/go-semver v0.3.1
 	github.com/coreos/go-systemd/v22 v22.5.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index d37d1c8e4..bb76c2a76 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ github.com/cloudflare/circl v1.3.7 h1:qlCDlTPz2n9fu58M0Nh1J/JzcFpfgkFHHX3O35r5vc
 github.com/cloudflare/circl v1.3.7/go.mod h1:sRTcRWXGLrKw6yIGJ+l7amYJFfAXbZG0kBSc8r4zxgA=
 github.com/cloudinary/cloudinary-go/v2 v2.9.0 h1:8C76QklmuV4qmKAC7cUnu9D68X9kCkFMuLspPikECCo=
 github.com/cloudinary/cloudinary-go/v2 v2.9.0/go.mod h1:ireC4gqVetsjVhYlwjUJwKTbZuWjEIynbR9zQTlqsvo=
-github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20241223203758-52b943b88fd6 h1:mLY/79N73URZ2J/oRKTxmfhCgxThzBmjQ6XOjX5tYjI=
-github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20241223203758-52b943b88fd6/go.mod h1:0aLYPsmguHbok591y6hI5yAqU0drbUzrPEO10ZpgTTw=
+github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20250124173933-e6bbeea507ed h1:KrdJUJWhJ1UWhvaP6SBsvG356KjqfdDjcS/4xTswAU4=
+github.com/cloudsoda/go-smb2 v0.0.0-20250124173933-e6bbeea507ed/go.mod h1:0aLYPsmguHbok591y6hI5yAqU0drbUzrPEO10ZpgTTw=
 github.com/cloudwego/base64x v0.1.4 h1:jwCgWpFanWmN8xoIUHa2rtzmkd5J2plF/dnLS6Xd/0Y=
 github.com/cloudwego/base64x v0.1.4/go.mod h1:0zlkT4Wn5C6NdauXdJRhSKRlJvmclQ1hhJgA0rcu/8w=
 github.com/cloudwego/iasm v0.2.0 h1:1KNIy1I1H9hNNFEEH3DVnI4UujN+1zjpuk6gwHLTssg=