diff --git a/table/updates.go b/table/updates.go
index ad302a29e..f4035ff4e 100644
--- a/table/updates.go
+++ b/table/updates.go
@@ -560,3 +560,51 @@ func NewRemoveSchemasUpdate(schemaIds []int) *removeSchemasUpdate {
 func (u *removeSchemasUpdate) Apply(builder *MetadataBuilder) error {
 	return builder.RemoveSchemas(u.SchemaIDs)
 }
+
+// FilterReferencedSnapshots removes referenced snapshot IDs from any
+// RemoveSnapshots updates. Snapshots referenced by a branch or tag in
+// the given metadata are excluded, unless the same update batch also
+// removes that ref. Updates with no remaining snapshot IDs are dropped
+// entirely.
+func FilterReferencedSnapshots(updates []Update, meta Metadata) []Update {
+	// Build ref state: ref name → snapshot ID
+	refsByName := make(map[string]int64)
+	for name, ref := range meta.Refs() {
+		refsByName[name] = ref.SnapshotID
+	}
+
+	// Apply ref removals from the same update batch
+	for _, upd := range updates {
+		if rs, ok := upd.(*removeSnapshotRefUpdate); ok {
+			delete(refsByName, rs.RefName)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Build the effective referenced set after accounting for ref removals
+	referenced := make(map[int64]bool)
+	for _, snapID := range refsByName {
+		referenced[snapID] = true
+	}
+
+	// Filter RemoveSnapshots updates
+	result := make([]Update, 0, len(updates))
+	for _, upd := range updates {
+		rs, ok := upd.(*removeSnapshotsUpdate)
+		if !ok {
+			result = append(result, upd)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		filtered := make([]int64, 0, len(rs.SnapshotIDs))
+		for _, id := range rs.SnapshotIDs {
+			if !referenced[id] {
+				filtered = append(filtered, id)
+			}
+		}
+		if len(filtered) > 0 {
+			result = append(result, NewRemoveSnapshotsUpdate(filtered))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
diff --git a/table/updates_test.go b/table/updates_test.go
index 831abb4b6..1351aaa2e 100644
--- a/table/updates_test.go
+++ b/table/updates_test.go
@@ -244,3 +244,112 @@ func TestUnmarshalUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// buildMetadataWithSnapshots creates table metadata with the given snapshots
+// and refs for use in FilterReferencedSnapshots tests.
+func buildMetadataWithSnapshots(t *testing.T, snapshots []Snapshot, refs map[string]SnapshotRef) Metadata {
+	t.Helper()
+	builder := builderWithoutChanges(2)
+	baseTs := builder.base.LastUpdatedMillis()
+	for i := range snapshots {
+		snapshots[i].TimestampMs = baseTs + int64(i) + 1
+		require.NoError(t, builder.AddSnapshot(&snapshots[i]))
+	}
+	for name, ref := range refs {
+		require.NoError(t, builder.SetSnapshotRef(name, ref.SnapshotID, ref.SnapshotRefType))
+	}
+	meta, err := builder.Build()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return meta
+}
+
+func TestFilterReferencedSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
+	schemaID := 0
+	snap := func(id int64) Snapshot {
+		return Snapshot{
+			SnapshotID:   id,
+			ManifestList: "/snap.avro",
+			Summary:      &Summary{Operation: OpAppend},
+			SchemaID:     &schemaID,
+		}
+	}
+
+	t.Run("skips referenced snapshots", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// snap-1 referenced by feature-branch, snap-2 unreferenced, snap-3 referenced by main
+		meta := buildMetadataWithSnapshots(t,
+			[]Snapshot{snap(1), snap(2), snap(3)},
+			map[string]SnapshotRef{
+				"feature-branch": {SnapshotID: 1, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+				MainBranch:       {SnapshotID: 3, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+			},
+		)
+
+		updates := []Update{
+			NewRemoveSnapshotsUpdate([]int64{1, 2}),
+		}
+
+		filtered := FilterReferencedSnapshots(updates, meta)
+		require.Len(t, filtered, 1)
+		rs := filtered[0].(*removeSnapshotsUpdate)
+		require.Equal(t, []int64{2}, rs.SnapshotIDs)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("allows removal when ref is also removed in same batch", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// tag-1 → snap-1, main → snap-2
+		meta := buildMetadataWithSnapshots(t,
+			[]Snapshot{snap(1), snap(2)},
+			map[string]SnapshotRef{
+				"tag-1":    {SnapshotID: 1, SnapshotRefType: TagRef},
+				MainBranch: {SnapshotID: 2, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+			},
+		)
+
+		updates := []Update{
+			NewRemoveSnapshotRefUpdate("tag-1"),
+			NewRemoveSnapshotsUpdate([]int64{1}),
+		}
+
+		filtered := FilterReferencedSnapshots(updates, meta)
+		// RemoveSnapshotRef passes through, RemoveSnapshots keeps snap-1
+		require.Len(t, filtered, 2)
+		require.Equal(t, UpdateRemoveSnapshotRef, filtered[0].Action())
+		rs := filtered[1].(*removeSnapshotsUpdate)
+		require.Equal(t, []int64{1}, rs.SnapshotIDs)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("drops update entirely when all snapshots are referenced", func(t *testing.T) {
+		meta := buildMetadataWithSnapshots(t,
+			[]Snapshot{snap(1), snap(2)},
+			map[string]SnapshotRef{
+				"branch-a": {SnapshotID: 1, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+				"branch-b": {SnapshotID: 2, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+			},
+		)
+
+		updates := []Update{
+			NewRemoveSnapshotsUpdate([]int64{1, 2}),
+		}
+
+		filtered := FilterReferencedSnapshots(updates, meta)
+		require.Len(t, filtered, 0)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("passes through non-RemoveSnapshots updates unchanged", func(t *testing.T) {
+		meta := buildMetadataWithSnapshots(t,
+			[]Snapshot{snap(1)},
+			map[string]SnapshotRef{
+				MainBranch: {SnapshotID: 1, SnapshotRefType: BranchRef},
+			},
+		)
+
+		updates := []Update{
+			NewSetPropertiesUpdate(iceberg.Properties{"key": "value"}),
+			NewRemovePropertiesUpdate([]string{"old-key"}),
+		}
+
+		filtered := FilterReferencedSnapshots(updates, meta)
+		require.Len(t, filtered, 2)
+		require.Equal(t, UpdateSetProperties, filtered[0].Action())
+		require.Equal(t, UpdateRemoveProperties, filtered[1].Action())
+	})
+}