diff --git a/dvc/output/local.py b/dvc/output/local.py
index 859c64621..c3b6688f3 100644
--- a/dvc/output/local.py
+++ b/dvc/output/local.py
@@ -87,8 +87,9 @@ class LocalOutput(BaseOutput):
 
         name = "metrics" if self.metric else "plot"
         if os.path.isdir(path):
-            msg = "directory '{}' cannot be used as {}."
-            raise IsADirectoryError(msg.format(self.path_info, name))
+            msg = "directory '%s' cannot be used as %s."
+            logger.debug(msg, str(self.path_info), name)
+            return
 
         if not istextfile(path):
             msg = "binary file '{}' cannot be used as {}."
diff --git a/tests/dir_helpers.py b/tests/dir_helpers.py
index 6d1abf813..30fdfd295 100644
--- a/tests/dir_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/dir_helpers.py
@@ -299,7 +299,12 @@ def git_init(path):
 def run_copy(tmp_dir, dvc):
     tmp_dir.gen(
         "copy.py",
-        "import sys, shutil\nshutil.copyfile(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])",
+        (
+            "import sys, shutil, os\n"
+            "shutil.copyfile(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2]) "
+            "if os.path.isfile(sys.argv[1]) "
+            "else shutil.copytree(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])"
+        ),
     )
 
     def run_copy(src, dst, **run_kwargs):
diff --git a/tests/func/test_run_single_stage.py b/tests/func/test_run_single_stage.py
index b43e91437..3f6265ec2 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_run_single_stage.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_run_single_stage.py
@@ -992,32 +992,17 @@ def test_should_raise_on_stage_output(tmp_dir, dvc, run_copy):
         run_copy("foo", "name.dvc", single_stage=True)
 
 
-class TestRunDirMetrics:
-    @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-    def setup(self, dvc):
-        with open("script.py", "w+") as fobj:
-            fobj.write("import sys\n")
-            fobj.write("import os\n")
-            fobj.write("os.makedirs(sys.argv[1])\n")
-            fobj.write(
-                "with open(os.path.join(sys.argv[1], "
-                "'metrics.json'), 'a+') as fobj:\n"
-            )
-            fobj.write("    fobj.write('foo')\n")
-
-    def test_metrics_dir_cached(self, dvc):
-        with pytest.raises(IsADirectoryError):
-            dvc.run(
-                cmd="python script.py dir", metrics=["dir"], single_stage=True,
-            )
-
-    def test_metrics_dir_not_cached(self, dvc):
-        with pytest.raises(IsADirectoryError):
-            dvc.run(
-                cmd="python script.py dir",
-                metrics_no_cache=["dir"],
-                single_stage=True,
-            )
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "metrics_type", ["metrics", "metrics_no_cache"],
+)
+def test_metrics_dir(tmp_dir, dvc, caplog, run_copy_metrics, metrics_type):
+    copyargs = {metrics_type: ["dir_metric"]}
+    tmp_dir.gen({"dir": {"file": "content"}})
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG, "dvc"):
+        run_copy_metrics("dir", "dir_metric", **copyargs)
+    assert (
+        "directory 'dir_metric' cannot be used as metrics." in caplog.messages
+    )
 
 
 def test_run_force_doesnot_preserve_comments_and_meta(tmp_dir, dvc, run_copy):