diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
index 51d17fbdd0f2..761f94a830e1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MergingSnapshotProducer.java
@@ -968,7 +968,12 @@ public List<ManifestFile> apply(TableMetadata base, Snapshot snapshot) {
   @Override
   public Object updateEvent() {
     long snapshotId = snapshotId();
-    Snapshot justSaved = ops().refresh().snapshot(snapshotId);
+
+    Snapshot justSaved = ops().current().snapshot(snapshotId);
+    if (justSaved == null) {
+      justSaved = ops().refresh().snapshot(snapshotId);
+    }
+
     long sequenceNumber = TableMetadata.INVALID_SEQUENCE_NUMBER;
     Map<String, String> summary;
     if (justSaved == null) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/catalog/CatalogTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/catalog/CatalogTests.java
index 833b2fb0b46f..90a513afeb8f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/catalog/CatalogTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/catalog/CatalogTests.java
@@ -3271,6 +3271,11 @@ public void testCatalogWithCustomMetricsReporter() throws IOException {
     assertThat(CustomMetricsReporter.SCAN_COUNTER.get()).isEqualTo(1);
     // reset counter in case subclasses run this test multiple times
     CustomMetricsReporter.SCAN_COUNTER.set(0);
+
+    // append file through MergeAppend and check and reset counter
+    table.newAppend().appendFile(FILE_A).commit();
+    assertThat(CustomMetricsReporter.COMMIT_COUNTER.get()).isEqualTo(1);
+    CustomMetricsReporter.COMMIT_COUNTER.set(0);
   }
 
   public static class CustomMetricsReporter implements MetricsReporter {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/TestRESTCatalog.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/TestRESTCatalog.java
index 6b981c493da0..0fc4a56aba5e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/TestRESTCatalog.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/TestRESTCatalog.java
@@ -4326,6 +4326,23 @@ public void testTableCacheAgeDoesNotRefreshesAfterAccess() {
         .isEqualTo(HALF_OF_TABLE_EXPIRATION);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testNumLoadTableCallsForMergeAppend() {
+    RESTCatalogAdapter adapter = Mockito.spy(new RESTCatalogAdapter(backendCatalog));
+
+    RESTCatalog catalog = catalog(adapter);
+
+    catalog.createNamespace(TABLE.namespace());
+
+    BaseTable table = (BaseTable) catalog.createTable(TABLE, SCHEMA);
+
+    table.newAppend().appendFile(FILE_A).commit();
+
+    // loadTable is executed once
+    Mockito.verify(adapter)
+        .execute(reqMatcher(HTTPMethod.GET, RESOURCE_PATHS.table(TABLE)), any(), any(), any());
+  }
+
   private RESTCatalog catalog(RESTCatalogAdapter adapter) {
     RESTCatalog catalog =
         new RESTCatalog(SessionCatalog.SessionContext.createEmpty(), (config) -> adapter);