diff --git a/vfs/dir.go b/vfs/dir.go
index 243f0d321..e9cbbbc99 100644
--- a/vfs/dir.go
+++ b/vfs/dir.go
@@ -478,6 +478,9 @@ func (d *Dir) AddVirtual(leaf string, size int64, isDir bool) {
 			// since the path came from the cache it may have fs.LinkSuffix,
 			// so remove it and mark the *File accordingly
 			leaf, isLink = strings.CutSuffix(leaf, fs.LinkSuffix)
+			if leaf == "" || leaf == "." || leaf == ".." {
+				return
+			}
 		}
 		f := newFile(d, dPath, nil, leaf)
 		if isLink {
@@ -724,12 +727,14 @@ func (d *Dir) _readDirFromEntries(entries fs.DirEntries, dirTree dirtree.DirTree
 	mv := d._newManageVirtuals()
 	for _, entry := range entries {
 		name := path.Base(entry.Remote())
-		if name == "." || name == ".." {
-			continue
-		}
 		if d.vfs.Opt.Links {
 			name, _ = strings.CutSuffix(name, fs.LinkSuffix)
 		}
+		// Check after removing the suffix so "...rclonelink" can't
+		// become an entry called ".."
+		if name == "" || name == "." || name == ".." {
+			continue
+		}
 		node := d.items[name]
 		if mv.add(d, name) {
 			continue
diff --git a/vfs/dir_test.go b/vfs/dir_test.go
index 264319d7f..0d5f2c8e2 100644
--- a/vfs/dir_test.go
+++ b/vfs/dir_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/operations"
 	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fstest"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/vfs/vfscommon"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -33,6 +34,41 @@ func dirCreate(t *testing.T) (r *fstest.Run, vfs *VFS, dir *Dir, item fstest.Ite
 	return r, vfs, node.(*Dir), file1
 }
 
+// TestDirLinksInvalidName checks that with --links an object called
+// "...rclonelink" doesn't become a directory entry called "..", which
+// would address the parent, whether it comes from a listing or from
+// the cache.
+func TestDirLinksInvalidName(t *testing.T) {
+	opt := vfscommon.Opt
+	opt.Links = true
+	r, vfs := newTestVFSOpt(t, &opt)
+
+	file1 := r.WriteObject(context.Background(), "dir/.."+fs.LinkSuffix, "target", t1)
+	file2 := r.WriteObject(context.Background(), "dir/file1", "file1 contents", t1)
+	r.CheckRemoteItems(t, file1, file2)
+
+	node, err := vfs.Stat("dir")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	dir := node.(*Dir)
+
+	checkEntries := func() {
+		t.Helper()
+		entries, err := dir.ReadDirAll()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		var names []string
+		for _, entry := range entries {
+			names = append(names, entry.Name())
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{"file1"}, names)
+	}
+	checkEntries()
+
+	for _, leaf := range []string{".." + fs.LinkSuffix, "." + fs.LinkSuffix, fs.LinkSuffix} {
+		dir.AddVirtual(leaf, 6, false)
+	}
+	checkEntries()
+}
+
 func TestDirMethods(t *testing.T) {
 	_, vfs, dir, _ := dirCreate(t)