diff --git a/cmd/lakectl/cmd/branch_protect.go b/cmd/lakectl/cmd/branch_protect.go
index 9005b57c3a3..2079011de74 100644
--- a/cmd/lakectl/cmd/branch_protect.go
+++ b/cmd/lakectl/cmd/branch_protect.go
@@ -62,9 +62,12 @@ var branchProtectAddCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		rules = append(rules, apigen.BranchProtectionRule{
 			Pattern: args[1],
 		})
-		setResp, err := client.SetBranchProtectionRulesWithResponse(cmd.Context(), u.Repository, &apigen.SetBranchProtectionRulesParams{
-			IfMatch: swag.String(resp.HTTPResponse.Header.Get("ETag")),
-		}, rules)
+		params := &apigen.SetBranchProtectionRulesParams{}
+		etag := swag.String(resp.HTTPResponse.Header.Get("ETag"))
+		if etag != nil && *etag != "" {
+			params.IfMatch = etag
+		}
+		setResp, err := client.SetBranchProtectionRulesWithResponse(cmd.Context(), u.Repository, params, rules)
 		DieOnErrorOrUnexpectedStatusCode(setResp, err, http.StatusNoContent)
 	},
 }
diff --git a/esti/golden/lakectl_branch_protection_list.term.golden b/esti/golden/lakectl_branch_protection_list.term.golden
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4dbeaa7d5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esti/golden/lakectl_branch_protection_list.term.golden
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+${BRANCH}
+
diff --git a/esti/lakectl_test.go b/esti/lakectl_test.go
index 1ed9ca04627..ece5cd72cd0 100644
--- a/esti/lakectl_test.go
+++ b/esti/lakectl_test.go
@@ -811,3 +811,17 @@ func TestLakectlUsage(t *testing.T) {
 	runCmd(t, r.Replace("{lakectl} repo list"), false, false, nil)
 	RunCmdAndVerifyFailureWithFile(t, r.Replace("{lakectl} usage summary"), false, "lakectl_usage_summary", vars)
 }
+
+func TestLakectlBranchProtection(t *testing.T) {
+	repoName := generateUniqueRepositoryName()
+	storage := generateUniqueStorageNamespace(repoName)
+	vars := map[string]string{
+		"REPO":    repoName,
+		"STORAGE": storage,
+		"BRANCH":  mainBranch,
+	}
+	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" repo create lakefs://"+repoName+" "+storage, false, "lakectl_repo_create", vars)
+
+	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect add lakefs://"+repoName+" "+mainBranch, false, "lakectl_empty", vars)
+	RunCmdAndVerifySuccessWithFile(t, Lakectl()+" branch-protect list lakefs://"+repoName, false, "lakectl_branch_protection_list.term", vars)
+}