diff --git a/backend/local/local.go b/backend/local/local.go
index 3f4ee58fd..b4462d8ed 100644
--- a/backend/local/local.go
+++ b/backend/local/local.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	iofs "io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -841,7 +842,13 @@ func (f *Fs) Rmdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
 	} else if !fi.IsDir() {
 		return fs.ErrorIsFile
 	}
-	return os.Remove(localPath)
+	err := os.Remove(localPath)
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" && errors.Is(err, iofs.ErrPermission) { // https://github.com/golang/go/issues/26295
+		if os.Chmod(localPath, 0o600) == nil {
+			err = os.Remove(localPath)
+		}
+	}
+	return err
 }
 
 // Precision of the file system
diff --git a/backend/local/local_internal_windows_test.go b/backend/local/local_internal_windows_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6379dd436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/local/local_internal_windows_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package local
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fs/operations"
+	"github.com/rclone/rclone/fstest"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestRmdirWindows tests that FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY does not block Rmdir on windows.
+// Microsoft docs indicate that "This attribute is not honored on directories."
+// See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/file-attribute-constants#file_attribute_readonly
+// and https://github.com/golang/go/issues/26295
+func TestRmdirWindows(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
+		t.Skipf("windows only")
+	}
+	r := fstest.NewRun(t)
+	defer r.Finalise()
+
+	err := operations.Mkdir(context.Background(), r.Flocal, "testdir")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ptr, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(filepath.Join(r.Flocal.Root(), "testdir"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = syscall.SetFileAttributes(ptr, uint32(syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY+syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = operations.Rmdir(context.Background(), r.Flocal, "testdir")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}