diff --git a/sos/plugins/__init__.py b/sos/plugins/__init__.py
index b7a47b6a4c..fbe4ad648b 100644
--- a/sos/plugins/__init__.py
+++ b/sos/plugins/__init__.py
@@ -744,6 +744,10 @@ def _copy_dir(self, srcpath):
                 path = os.path.join(srcpath, name)
                 self._do_copy_path(path)
         except OSError as e:
+            if e.errno == errno.EPERM or errno.EACCES:
+                msg = "Permission denied"
+                self._log_warn("_copy_dir: '%s' %s" % (srcpath, msg))
+                return
             if e.errno == errno.ELOOP:
                 msg = "Too many levels of symbolic links copying"
                 self._log_error("_copy_dir: %s '%s'" % (msg, srcpath))