diff --git a/fs/log.go b/fs/log.go
index 2572fe612..77fc6a521 100644
--- a/fs/log.go
+++ b/fs/log.go
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/lib/caller"
 )
 
 // LogLevel describes rclone's logs.  These are a subset of the syslog log levels.
@@ -196,12 +199,42 @@ func Panicf(o any, text string, args ...any) {
 	panic(fmt.Sprintf(text, args...))
 }
 
+// Panic if this called from an rc job.
+//
+// This means fatal errors get turned into panics which get caught by
+// the rc job handler so they don't crash rclone.
+//
+// This detects if we are being called from an rc Job by looking for
+// Job.run in the call stack.
+//
+// Ideally we would do this by passing a context about but we don't
+// have one with the logging calls yet.
+//
+// This is tested in fs/rc/internal_job_test.go in TestInternalFatal.
+func panicIfRcJob(o any, text string, args []any) {
+	if !caller.Present("(*Job).run") {
+		return
+	}
+	var errTxt strings.Builder
+	_, _ = errTxt.WriteString("fatal error: ")
+	if o != nil {
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(&errTxt, "%v: ", o)
+	}
+	if args != nil {
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(&errTxt, text, args...)
+	} else {
+		_, _ = errTxt.WriteString(text)
+	}
+	panic(errTxt.String())
+}
+
 // Fatal writes critical log output for this Object or Fs and calls os.Exit(1).
 // It should always be seen by the user.
 func Fatal(o any, text string) {
 	if GetConfig(context.TODO()).LogLevel >= LogLevelCritical {
 		LogPrint(LogLevelCritical, o, text)
 	}
+	panicIfRcJob(o, text, nil)
 	os.Exit(1)
 }
 
@@ -211,6 +244,7 @@ func Fatalf(o any, text string, args ...any) {
 	if GetConfig(context.TODO()).LogLevel >= LogLevelCritical {
 		LogPrintf(LogLevelCritical, o, text, args...)
 	}
+	panicIfRcJob(o, text, args)
 	os.Exit(1)
 }
 
diff --git a/fs/rc/internal.go b/fs/rc/internal.go
index 0fa82131b..168da72fc 100644
--- a/fs/rc/internal.go
+++ b/fs/rc/internal.go
@@ -64,6 +64,39 @@ func rcError(ctx context.Context, in Params) (out Params, err error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("arbitrary error on input %+v", in)
 }
 
+func init() {
+	Add(Call{
+		Path:  "rc/panic",
+		Fn:    rcPanic,
+		Title: "This returns an error by panicing",
+		Help: `
+This returns an error with the input as part of its error string.
+Useful for testing error handling.`,
+	})
+}
+
+// Return an error regardless
+func rcPanic(ctx context.Context, in Params) (out Params, err error) {
+	panic(fmt.Sprintf("arbitrary error on input %+v", in))
+}
+
+func init() {
+	Add(Call{
+		Path:  "rc/fatal",
+		Fn:    rcFatal,
+		Title: "This returns an fatal error",
+		Help: `
+This returns an error with the input as part of its error string.
+Useful for testing error handling.`,
+	})
+}
+
+// Return an error regardless
+func rcFatal(ctx context.Context, in Params) (out Params, err error) {
+	fs.Fatalf(nil, "arbitrary error on input %+v", in)
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 func init() {
 	Add(Call{
 		Path:  "rc/list",
diff --git a/fs/rc/internal_job_test.go b/fs/rc/internal_job_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9bb437048
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fs/rc/internal_job_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// These tests use the job framework so must be external to the module
+
+package rc_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/rc"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/rc/jobs"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestInternalPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	call := rc.Calls.Get("rc/panic")
+	assert.NotNil(t, call)
+	in := rc.Params{}
+	_, out, err := jobs.NewJob(ctx, call.Fn, in)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "arbitrary error on input map[]")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "panic received:")
+	assert.Equal(t, rc.Params{}, out)
+}
+
+func TestInternalFatal(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	call := rc.Calls.Get("rc/fatal")
+	assert.NotNil(t, call)
+	in := rc.Params{}
+	_, out, err := jobs.NewJob(ctx, call.Fn, in)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "arbitrary error on input map[]")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "panic received:")
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "fatal error:")
+	assert.Equal(t, rc.Params{}, out)
+}