diff --git a/cmd/restic/global.go b/cmd/restic/global.go
index 76deb973b..bf2efde70 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/global.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/global.go
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ func create(s string, opts options.Options) (restic.Backend, error) {
 	case "rest":
 		return rest.Create(cfg.(rest.Config), rt)
 	case "rclone":
-		return rclone.Open(cfg.(rclone.Config), nil)
+		return rclone.Create(cfg.(rclone.Config))
 	}
 
 	debug.Log("invalid repository scheme: %v", s)
diff --git a/internal/backend/rclone/backend.go b/internal/backend/rclone/backend.go
index c87a2f1b0..e18d8a998 100644
--- a/internal/backend/rclone/backend.go
+++ b/internal/backend/rclone/backend.go
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ func Open(cfg Config, lim limiter.Limiter) (*Backend, error) {
 
 	restBackend, err := rest.Open(restConfig, debug.RoundTripper(be.tr))
 	if err != nil {
+		_ = be.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ func Create(cfg Config) (*Backend, error) {
 	}
 
 	restConfig := rest.Config{
-		Connections: 20,
+		Connections: cfg.Connections,
 		URL:         url,
 	}