diff --git a/src/adRendering.js b/src/adRendering.js
index 47f335664e5..4b1f2960428 100644
--- a/src/adRendering.js
+++ b/src/adRendering.js
@@ -137,11 +137,12 @@ export const getRenderingData = hook('sync', function (bidResponse, options) {
   };
 })
 
-export const doRender = hook('sync', function({renderFn, resizeFn, bidResponse, options}) {
-  if (FEATURES.VIDEO && bidResponse.mediaType === VIDEO) {
+export const doRender = hook('sync', function({renderFn, resizeFn, bidResponse, options, doc, isMainDocument = doc === document && !inIframe()}) {
+  const videoBid = (FEATURES.VIDEO && bidResponse.mediaType === VIDEO)
+  if (isMainDocument || videoBid) {
     emitAdRenderFail({
       reason: AD_RENDER_FAILED_REASON.PREVENT_WRITING_ON_MAIN_DOCUMENT,
-      message: 'Cannot render video ad',
+      message: videoBid ? 'Cannot render video ad without a renderer' : `renderAd was prevented from writing to the main document.`,
       bid: bidResponse,
       id: bidResponse.adId
     });
@@ -277,14 +278,10 @@ export function renderAdDirect(doc, adId, options) {
     if (!adId || !doc) {
       fail(AD_RENDER_FAILED_REASON.MISSING_DOC_OR_ADID, `missing ${adId ? 'doc' : 'adId'}`);
     } else {
-      if ((doc === document && !inIframe())) {
-        fail(AD_RENDER_FAILED_REASON.PREVENT_WRITING_ON_MAIN_DOCUMENT, `renderAd was prevented from writing to the main document.`);
-      } else {
-        getBidToRender(adId).then(bidResponse => {
-          bid = bidResponse;
-          handleRender({renderFn, resizeFn, adId, options: {clickUrl: options?.clickThrough}, bidResponse, doc});
-        });
-      }
+      getBidToRender(adId).then(bidResponse => {
+        bid = bidResponse;
+        handleRender({renderFn, resizeFn, adId, options: {clickUrl: options?.clickThrough}, bidResponse, doc});
+      });
     }
   } catch (e) {
     fail(EXCEPTION, e.message);
diff --git a/test/spec/unit/adRendering_spec.js b/test/spec/unit/adRendering_spec.js
index c3bebf45350..bb9ba9215cf 100644
--- a/test/spec/unit/adRendering_spec.js
+++ b/test/spec/unit/adRendering_spec.js
@@ -127,6 +127,12 @@ describe('adRendering', () => {
           sinon.assert.called(bidResponse.renderer.render);
         });
 
+        it('allows rendering on the main document', () => {
+          doRender({renderFn, bidResponse, isMainDocument: true});
+          sinon.assert.notCalled(renderFn);
+          sinon.assert.called(bidResponse.renderer.render);
+        })
+
         it('emits AD_RENDER_SUCCEDED', () => {
           doRender({renderFn, bidResponse});
           sinon.assert.calledWith(events.emit, EVENTS.AD_RENDER_SUCCEEDED, sinon.match({
@@ -144,6 +150,11 @@ describe('adRendering', () => {
         });
       }
 
+      it('should emit AD_RENDER_FAILED when renderer-less bid is being rendered on the main document', () => {
+        doRender({renderFn, bidResponse, isMainDocument: true});
+        expectAdRenderFailedEvent(AD_RENDER_FAILED_REASON.PREVENT_WRITING_ON_MAIN_DOCUMENT);
+      });
+
       it('invokes renderFn with rendering data', () => {
         const data = {ad: 'creative'};
         getRenderingDataStub.returns(data);