diff --git a/backend/drive/drive.go b/backend/drive/drive.go
index 26606f7ca..07a4b92e3 100755
--- a/backend/drive/drive.go
+++ b/backend/drive/drive.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/config/obscure"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fserrors"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fshttp"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/fspath"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/hash"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/operations"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/walk"
@@ -2959,6 +2960,38 @@ func (f *Fs) unTrashDir(ctx context.Context, dir string, recurse bool) (r unTras
 	return f.unTrash(ctx, dir, directoryID, true)
 }
 
+// copy file with id to dest
+func (f *Fs) copyID(ctx context.Context, id, dest string) (err error) {
+	info, err := f.getFile(id, f.fileFields)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "couldn't find id")
+	}
+	if info.MimeType == driveFolderType {
+		return errors.Errorf("can't copy directory use: rclone copy --drive-root-folder-id %s %s %s", id, fs.ConfigString(f), dest)
+	}
+	info.Name = f.opt.Enc.ToStandardName(info.Name)
+	o, err := f.newObjectWithInfo(info.Name, info)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	destDir, destLeaf, err := fspath.Split(dest)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if destLeaf == "" {
+		destLeaf = info.Name
+	}
+	dstFs, err := cache.Get(destDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = operations.Copy(ctx, dstFs, nil, destLeaf, o)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "copy failed")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 var commandHelp = []fs.CommandHelp{{
 	Name:  "get",
 	Short: "Get command for fetching the drive config parameters",
@@ -3059,6 +3092,29 @@ Result:
         "Errors": 0
     }
 `,
+}, {
+	Name:  "copyid",
+	Short: "Copy files by ID",
+	Long: `This command copies files by ID
+
+Usage:
+
+    rclone backend copyid drive: ID path
+    rclone backend copyid drive: ID1 path1 ID2 path2
+
+It copies the drive file with ID given to the path (an rclone path which
+will be passed internally to rclone copyto). The ID and path pairs can be
+repeated.
+
+The path should end with a / to indicate copy the file as named to
+this directory. If it doesn't end with a / then the last path
+component will be used as the file name.
+
+If the destination is a drive backend then server side copying will be
+attempted if possible.
+
+Use the -i flag to see what would be copied before copying.
+`,
 }}
 
 // Command the backend to run a named command
@@ -3130,6 +3186,19 @@ func (f *Fs) Command(ctx context.Context, name string, arg []string, opt map[str
 			dir = arg[0]
 		}
 		return f.unTrashDir(ctx, dir, true)
+	case "copyid":
+		if len(arg)%2 != 0 {
+			return nil, errors.New("need an even number of arguments")
+		}
+		for len(arg) > 0 {
+			id, dest := arg[0], arg[1]
+			arg = arg[2:]
+			err = f.copyID(ctx, id, dest)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed copying %q to %q", id, dest)
+			}
+		}
+		return nil, nil
 	default:
 		return nil, fs.ErrorCommandNotFound
 	}
diff --git a/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go b/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
index 334191bae..4a1423eb0 100644
--- a/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
+++ b/backend/drive/drive_internal_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"mime"
+	"os"
+	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -272,14 +274,15 @@ func (f *Fs) InternalTestDocumentLink(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+const (
+	// from fstest/fstests/fstests.go
+	existingDir    = "hello? sausage"
+	existingFile   = `hello? sausage/êé/Hello, 世界/ " ' @ < > & ? + ≠/z.txt`
+	existingSubDir = "êé"
+)
+
 // TestIntegration/FsMkdir/FsPutFiles/Internal/Shortcuts
 func (f *Fs) InternalTestShortcuts(t *testing.T) {
-	const (
-		// from fstest/fstests/fstests.go
-		existingDir    = "hello? sausage"
-		existingFile   = `hello? sausage/êé/Hello, 世界/ " ' @ < > & ? + ≠/z.txt`
-		existingSubDir = "êé"
-	)
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	srcObj, err := f.NewObject(ctx, existingFile)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -408,6 +411,55 @@ func (f *Fs) InternalTestUnTrash(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, f.Purge(ctx, "trashDir"))
 }
 
+// TestIntegration/FsMkdir/FsPutFiles/Internal/CopyID
+func (f *Fs) InternalTestCopyID(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	obj, err := f.NewObject(ctx, existingFile)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	o := obj.(*Object)
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "rclone-drive-copyid-test")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	}()
+
+	checkFile := func(name string) {
+		filePath := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+		fi, err := os.Stat(filePath)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, int64(100), fi.Size())
+		err = os.Remove(filePath)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	t.Run("BadID", func(t *testing.T) {
+		err = f.copyID(ctx, "ID-NOT-FOUND", dir+"/")
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "couldn't find id")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("Directory", func(t *testing.T) {
+		rootID, err := f.dirCache.RootID(ctx, false)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		err = f.copyID(ctx, rootID, dir+"/")
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "can't copy directory")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("WithoutDestName", func(t *testing.T) {
+		err = f.copyID(ctx, o.id, dir+"/")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		checkFile(path.Base(existingFile))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("WithDestName", func(t *testing.T) {
+		err = f.copyID(ctx, o.id, dir+"/potato.txt")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		checkFile("potato.txt")
+	})
+}
+
 func (f *Fs) InternalTest(t *testing.T) {
 	// These tests all depend on each other so run them as nested tests
 	t.Run("DocumentImport", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -424,6 +476,7 @@ func (f *Fs) InternalTest(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	t.Run("Shortcuts", f.InternalTestShortcuts)
 	t.Run("UnTrash", f.InternalTestUnTrash)
+	t.Run("CopyID", f.InternalTestCopyID)
 }
 
 var _ fstests.InternalTester = (*Fs)(nil)