diff --git a/fs/operations/operations.go b/fs/operations/operations.go
index cef999a55..602571857 100644
--- a/fs/operations/operations.go
+++ b/fs/operations/operations.go
@@ -608,6 +608,10 @@ func DeleteFilesWithBackupDir(ctx context.Context, toBeDeleted fs.ObjectsChan, b
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
 			for dst := range toBeDeleted {
+				// Empty the channel on fatal error
+				if fatalErrorCount.Load() != 0 {
+					continue
+				}
 				err := DeleteFileWithBackupDir(ctx, dst, backupDir)
 				if err != nil {
 					errorCount.Add(1)
@@ -616,7 +620,6 @@ func DeleteFilesWithBackupDir(ctx context.Context, toBeDeleted fs.ObjectsChan, b
 					if fserrors.IsFatalError(err) {
 						fs.Errorf(dst, "Got fatal error on delete: %s", err)
 						fatalErrorCount.Add(1)
-						return
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -1593,7 +1596,7 @@ func Rmdirs(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, dir string, leaveRoot bool) error {
 		}
 		fs.Debugf(nil, "removing %d level %d directories", len(dirs), level)
 		sort.Strings(dirs)
-		g, gCtx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
+		g, gCtx := errgroup.WithContext(context.Background())
 		g.SetLimit(ci.Checkers)
 		for _, dir := range dirs {
 			// End early if error
@@ -2494,7 +2497,7 @@ func DirMove(ctx context.Context, f fs.Fs, srcRemote, dstRemote string) (err err
 		newPath string
 	}
 	renames := make(chan rename, ci.Checkers)
-	g, gCtx := errgroup.WithContext(context.Background())
+	g, gCtx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	for range ci.Checkers {
 		g.Go(func() error {
 			for job := range renames {
diff --git a/fs/operations/operations_test.go b/fs/operations/operations_test.go
index 3169d3a37..6e0045a62 100644
--- a/fs/operations/operations_test.go
+++ b/fs/operations/operations_test.go
@@ -427,6 +427,32 @@ func TestDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	r.CheckRemoteItems(t, file3)
 }
 
+// Check Delete doesn't hang when a fatal error stops the deletions
+// before all the objects have been sent to the deleters
+func TestDeleteFatalError(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx, ci := fs.AddConfig(ctx)
+	ci.Checkers = 2
+	ci.MaxDelete = 1
+	r := fstest.NewRun(t)
+	// More files than the deleters' channel can hold
+	for i := range 20 {
+		r.WriteObject(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("file%d", i), "x", t1)
+	}
+
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		done <- operations.Delete(ctx, r.Fremote)
+	}()
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		assert.True(t, fserrors.IsFatalError(err), err)
+	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Delete didn't return - deadlocked sending to the deleters")
+	}
+}
+
 func isChunker(f fs.Fs) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(f.Name(), "TestChunker")
 }