diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e5ea958..0c379d0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ You can pass options to `@metalsmith/layouts` with the [Javascript API](https://
 - [directory](#directory): optional. The directory for the layouts. The default is `layouts`.
 - [pattern](#pattern): optional. Only files that match this pattern will be processed. Accepts a string or an array of strings. The default is `**`.
 - [engineOptions](#engineoptions): optional. Use this to pass options to the jstransformer that's rendering your layouts. The default is `{}`.
-- [suppressNoFilesError](#suppressnofileserror): optional. By default `@metalsmith/layouts` will exit with an error if there aren't any files to process. Enabling this option will suppress that error.
 
 #### `default`
 
@@ -123,21 +122,6 @@ metalsmith.use(
 
 Would pass `{ "cache": false }` to the used jstransformer.
 
-#### `suppressNoFilesError`
-
-`@metalsmith/layouts` exits with [an error](#no-files-to-process) if it can’t find any files to process. If you’re doing any kind of incremental builds via something like `metalsmith-watch`, this is problematic as you’re likely only rebuilding files that have changed. This flag allows you to suppress that error.
-
-Note that when this option is turned on, if you're logging [debug](#debug) messages, you’ll still see a message denoting when there aren't any files for `@metalsmith/layouts` to process.
-
-There are several things that might cause you to get a `no files to process` error:
-
-- Your [pattern](#pattern) does not match any files
-- None of your files pass validation, validation fails for files that:
-  - Have no layout
-  - Have a layout without an extension
-  - Are not utf-8
-  - Have a layout that needs a jstransformer that hasn't been installed
-
 ### Debug
 
 To enable debug logs, set the `DEBUG` environment variable to `@metalsmith/layouts`:
@@ -159,7 +143,6 @@ To use this plugin with the Metalsmith CLI, add `@metalsmith/layouts` to the `pl
       "@metalsmith/layouts": {
         "default": null,
         "directory": "layouts",
-        "suppressNoFilesError": false,
         "engineOptions": {}
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index 26f5d43..87af5dc 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -41,10 +41,6 @@ export type Options = {
      * Pass options to [the jstransformer](https://github.com/jstransformers/jstransformer) that's rendering your layouts. The default is `{}`.
      */
     engineOptions?: any;
-    /**
-     * By default `@metalsmith/layouts` will exit with an error if there aren't any files to process. Enabling this option will suppress that error.
-     */
-    suppressNoFilesError?: boolean;
 };
 /**
  * A metalsmith plugin for rendering layouts
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index ce342e3..8d29e40 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ let debug = () => {
  * @property {string} [pattern] The directory for the layouts. The default is `layouts`.
  * @property {string|string[]} [directory] Only files that match this pattern will be processed. Accepts a string or an array of strings. The default is `**` (all).
  * @property {Object} [engineOptions] Pass options to [the jstransformer](https://github.com/jstransformers/jstransformer) that's rendering your layouts. The default is `{}`.
- * @property {boolean} [suppressNoFilesError] By default `@metalsmith/layouts` will exit with an error if there aren't any files to process. Enabling this option will suppress that error.
  */
 
 /**
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@ function normalizeOptions(options, transform) {
     pattern: '**',
     directory: 'layouts',
     engineOptions: {},
-    suppressNoFilesError: false,
     ...options,
     transform
   }
@@ -210,17 +208,11 @@ function layouts(options) {
     // Filter files by validity, pass basename to avoid dots in folder path
     const validFiles = matchedFiles.filter((filename) => validate({ filename, files, options }))
 
-    // Let the user know when there are no files to process, unless the check is suppressed
+    // Let the user know when there are no files to process
     if (validFiles.length === 0) {
-      const message =
-        'no files to process. See https://www.npmjs.com/package/@metalsmith/layouts#suppressnofileserror'
-
-      if (options.suppressNoFilesError) {
-        debug.error(message)
-        return done()
-      }
-
-      return done(new Error(message))
+      debug.warn('No valid files to process.')
+      done()
+      return
     }
 
     // Map all files that should be processed to an array of promises and call done when finished
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 12e3458..9dc639f 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import Metalsmith from 'metalsmith'
 import equal from 'assert-dir-equal'
 import path from 'path'
-import { rejects, strictEqual } from 'assert'
+import { rejects, strictEqual, ok } from 'assert'
 import plugin from '../src/index.js'
 
 function fixture(dir) {
@@ -15,6 +15,28 @@ function fixture(dir) {
   }
 }
 
+function patchDebug() {
+  const output = []
+  const Debugger = (...args) => {
+    output.push(['log', ...args])
+  }
+  Object.assign(Debugger, {
+    info: (...args) => {
+      output.push(['info', ...args])
+    },
+    warn: (...args) => {
+      output.push(['warn', ...args])
+    },
+    error: (...args) => {
+      output.push(['error', ...args])
+    }
+  })
+  return function patchDebug(files, ms) {
+    ms.debug = () => Debugger
+    ms.metadata({ logs: output })
+  }
+}
+
 describe('@metalsmith/layouts', () => {
   it('should apply a single layout to a single file', async () => {
     const { dir, actual, expected } = fixture('single-file')
@@ -148,14 +170,18 @@ describe('@metalsmith/layouts', () => {
     equal(actual, expected)
   })
 
-  it('should return an error when there are no valid files to process', async () => {
+  it('should log a warning when there are no valid files to process', async () => {
     const { dir } = fixture('no-files')
-    rejects(
-      async () => {
-        await Metalsmith(dir).env('DEBUG', process.env.DEBUG).use(plugin()).build()
-      },
-      { message: 'no files to process.' }
-    )
+    const ms = Metalsmith(dir)
+    await ms
+      .env('DEBUG', process.env.DEBUG)
+      .use(patchDebug())
+      .use(plugin({ transform: 'handlebars' }))
+      .build()
+    const log = ms
+      .metadata()
+      .logs.find(([type, msg]) => type === 'warn' && msg === 'No valid files to process.')
+    ok(log)
   })
 
   it('should return an error for an invalid pattern', async () => {