diff --git a/docs/content/docs.md b/docs/content/docs.md
index 31928320a..57436eb74 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs.md
+++ b/docs/content/docs.md
@@ -722,6 +722,8 @@ This option defaults to `false`.
 
 The `--no-traverse` flag controls whether the destination file system
 is traversed when using the `copy` or `move` commands.
+`--no-traverse` is not compatible with `sync` and will be ignored if
+you supply it with `sync`.
 
 If you are only copying a small number of files and/or have a large
 number of files on the destination then `--no-traverse` will stop
diff --git a/fs/sync.go b/fs/sync.go
index e2d2bf8d4..2c4b6ea15 100644
--- a/fs/sync.go
+++ b/fs/sync.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func newSyncCopyMove(fdst, fsrc Fs, deleteMode DeleteMode, DoMove bool) (*syncCo
 		trackRenamesCh: make(chan Object, Config.Checkers),
 	}
 	if s.noTraverse && s.deleteMode != DeleteModeOff {
-		Debug(s.fdst, "Ignoring --no-traverse with sync")
+		ErrorLog(nil, "Ignoring --no-traverse with sync")
 		s.noTraverse = false
 	}
 	if s.trackRenames {
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func newSyncCopyMove(fdst, fsrc Fs, deleteMode DeleteMode, DoMove bool) (*syncCo
 			s.deleteMode = DeleteModeAfter
 		}
 		if s.noTraverse {
-			Debug(s.fdst, "Ignoring --no-traverse with --track-renames")
+			ErrorLog(nil, "Ignoring --no-traverse with --track-renames")
 			s.noTraverse = false
 		}
 	}