diff --git a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
index 161b178c..990c5798 100644
--- a/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
+++ b/cmd/skopeo/sync.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func parseRepositoryReference(input string) (reference.Named, error) {
 // destinationReference creates an image reference using the provided transport.
 // It returns a image reference to be used as destination of an image copy and
 // any error encountered.
-func destinationReference(destination string, transport string) (types.ImageReference, error) {
+func destinationReference(destination string, transport string, dryRun bool) (types.ImageReference, error) {
 	var imageTransport types.ImageTransport
 
 	switch transport {
@@ -181,9 +181,11 @@ func destinationReference(destination string, transport string) (types.ImageRefe
 		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Destination directory could not be used: %w", err)
 		}
-		// the directory holding the image must be created here
-		if err = os.MkdirAll(destination, 0755); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error creating directory for image %s: %w", destination, err)
+		if !dryRun {
+			// the directory holding the image must be created here
+			if err = os.MkdirAll(destination, 0755); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error creating directory for image %s: %w", destination, err)
+			}
 		}
 		imageTransport = directory.Transport
 	default:
@@ -697,7 +699,7 @@ func (opts *syncOptions) run(args []string, stdout io.Writer) (retErr error) {
 				destSuffix = path.Base(destSuffix)
 			}
 
-			destRef, err := destinationReference(path.Join(destination, destSuffix)+opts.appendSuffix, opts.destination)
+			destRef, err := destinationReference(path.Join(destination, destSuffix)+opts.appendSuffix, opts.destination, opts.dryRun)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/integration/sync_test.go b/integration/sync_test.go
index 4e7a0fd1..79f8694d 100644
--- a/integration/sync_test.go
+++ b/integration/sync_test.go
@@ -266,6 +266,31 @@ func (s *syncSuite) TestDocker2DirUntagged() {
 	assert.Len(t, nManifests, len(tags))
 }
 
+func (s *syncSuite) TestDocker2DirDryRun() {
+	t := s.T()
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// FIXME: It would be nice to use one of the local Docker registries instead of needing an Internet connection.
+	image := pullableRepo
+	imageRef, err := docker.ParseReference(fmt.Sprintf("//%s", image))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assertSkopeoSucceeds(t, "", "sync", "--scoped", "--dry-run", "--src", "docker", "--dest", "dir", image, tmpDir)
+
+	sysCtx := types.SystemContext{}
+	tags, err := docker.GetRepositoryTags(context.Background(), &sysCtx, imageRef)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotZero(t, len(tags))
+
+	d, err := os.Open(tmpDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer d.Close()
+	nDirEntries, err := d.ReadDir(1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(nDirEntries))
+}
+
 func (s *syncSuite) TestYamlUntagged() {
 	t := s.T()
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()