diff --git a/integrations/python/dataloader/src/openhouse/dataloader/data_loader.py b/integrations/python/dataloader/src/openhouse/dataloader/data_loader.py
index 23dd603df..926ef9aaf 100644
--- a/integrations/python/dataloader/src/openhouse/dataloader/data_loader.py
+++ b/integrations/python/dataloader/src/openhouse/dataloader/data_loader.py
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ def __init__(
                 rows. Smaller values reduce peak memory but increase per-batch overhead.
                 None uses the PyArrow default (~131K rows).
         """
+        if branch is not None and branch.strip() == "":
+            raise ValueError("branch must not be empty or whitespace")
+        if branch is not None and snapshot_id is not None:
+            raise ValueError("Cannot specify both branch and snapshot_id")
         self._catalog = catalog
         self._table_id = TableIdentifier(database, table, branch)
         self._snapshot_id = snapshot_id
@@ -121,7 +125,17 @@ def table_properties(self) -> Mapping[str, str]:
     @cached_property
     def snapshot_id(self) -> int | None:
         """Snapshot ID of the loaded table, or None if the table has no snapshots"""
-        return self._snapshot_id if self._snapshot_id is not None else self._iceberg_table.metadata.current_snapshot_id
+        if self._snapshot_id is not None:
+            return self._snapshot_id
+        if self._table_id.branch:
+            snapshot = self._iceberg_table.snapshot_by_name(self._table_id.branch)
+            if snapshot is None:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Branch '{self._table_id.branch}' not found for table "
+                    f"{self._table_id.database}.{self._table_id.table}"
+                )
+            return snapshot.snapshot_id
+        return self._iceberg_table.metadata.current_snapshot_id
 
     def _verify_snapshot(self, snapshot: Snapshot | None) -> None:
         """Log the resolved snapshot or raise if a user-provided snapshot_id was not found."""
diff --git a/integrations/python/dataloader/tests/test_data_loader.py b/integrations/python/dataloader/tests/test_data_loader.py
index 7862a7f35..4919c5c4c 100644
--- a/integrations/python/dataloader/tests/test_data_loader.py
+++ b/integrations/python/dataloader/tests/test_data_loader.py
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ def test_package_imports():
 }
 
 
-def _write_parquet(tmp_path, data: dict) -> str:
+def _write_parquet(tmp_path, data: dict, filename: str = "test.parquet") -> str:
     """Write a Parquet file with Iceberg field IDs in column metadata."""
-    file_path = str(tmp_path / "test.parquet")
+    file_path = str(tmp_path / filename)
     table = pa.table(data)
     fields = [field.with_metadata({b"PARQUET:field_id": str(i + 1).encode()}) for i, field in enumerate(table.schema)]
     pq.write_table(table.cast(pa.schema(fields)), file_path)
@@ -324,6 +324,77 @@ def test_snapshot_id_with_columns_and_filters(tmp_path):
     assert "row_filter" in scan_kwargs
 
 
+# --- branch tests ---
+
+
+def test_branch_and_snapshot_id_raises():
+    """ValueError is raised when both branch and snapshot_id are provided."""
+    catalog = MagicMock()
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Cannot specify both branch and snapshot_id"):
+        OpenHouseDataLoader(catalog=catalog, database="db", table="tbl", branch="b", snapshot_id=42)
+
+
+def test_branch_snapshot_id_resolves():
+    """snapshot_id property resolves via snapshot_by_name when branch is set."""
+    catalog = MagicMock()
+    mock_snapshot = MagicMock()
+    mock_snapshot.snapshot_id = 123
+    catalog.load_table.return_value.snapshot_by_name.side_effect = (
+        lambda name: mock_snapshot if name == "my-branch" else None
+    )
+
+    loader = OpenHouseDataLoader(catalog=catalog, database="db", table="tbl", branch="my-branch")
+
+    assert loader.snapshot_id == 123
+
+
+def test_branch_snapshot_id_not_found_raises():
+    """ValueError is raised when branch does not exist in table metadata."""
+    catalog = MagicMock()
+    catalog.load_table.return_value.snapshot_by_name.side_effect = lambda name: None
+
+    loader = OpenHouseDataLoader(catalog=catalog, database="db", table="tbl", branch="missing")
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Branch 'missing' not found"):
+        _ = loader.snapshot_id
+
+
+def test_branch_reads_data_from_branch_snapshot():
+    """Branch splits come from the branch snapshot, not the main snapshot."""
+    catalog = MagicMock()
+
+    main_task = MagicMock()
+    main_task.file.file_path = "main.parquet"
+    branch_task = MagicMock()
+    branch_task.file.file_path = "branch.parquet"
+
+    branch_snapshot_id = 200
+
+    def fake_scan(**kwargs):
+        task = branch_task if kwargs.get("snapshot_id") == branch_snapshot_id else main_task
+        scan = MagicMock()
+        scan.plan_files.return_value = [task]
+        return scan
+
+    mock_snapshot = MagicMock()
+    mock_snapshot.snapshot_id = branch_snapshot_id
+
+    mock_table = catalog.load_table.return_value
+    mock_table.scan.side_effect = fake_scan
+    mock_table.snapshot_by_name.side_effect = lambda name: mock_snapshot if name == "my-branch" else None
+
+    # Without branch: splits come from main snapshot
+    main_splits = list(OpenHouseDataLoader(catalog=catalog, database="db", table="tbl"))
+    assert len(main_splits) == 1
+    assert main_splits[0]._file_scan_task.file.file_path == "main.parquet"
+
+    # With branch: splits come from branch snapshot
+    branch_splits = list(OpenHouseDataLoader(catalog=catalog, database="db", table="tbl", branch="my-branch"))
+    assert len(branch_splits) == 1
+    assert branch_splits[0]._file_scan_task.file.file_path == "branch.parquet"
+
+
 # --- batch_size tests ---