diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py b/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
index ba91fac669..72d2eb8fb7 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bblayers/layerindex.py
@@ -55,13 +55,15 @@ class LayerIndexPlugin(ActionPlugin):
             switching branches if necessary and possible.
             """
             base_cmd = ['git', '--git-dir=%s/.git' % repodir, '--work-tree=%s' % repodir]
-            cmd = base_cmd + ['branch']
+            # Get current branch name
+            cmd = base_cmd + ['rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref', 'HEAD']
             completed_proc = subprocess.run(cmd, text=True, capture_output=True)
             if completed_proc.returncode:
-                logger.error("Unable to validate repo %s (%s)" % (repodir, stderr))
+                logger.error("Unable to validate repo %s (%s)" % (repodir, completed_proc.stderr))
                 return None, None, None
             else:
-                if branch != completed_proc.stdout[2:-1]:
+                current_branch = completed_proc.stdout.strip()
+                if branch != current_branch:
                     cmd = base_cmd + ['status', '--short']
                     completed_proc = subprocess.run(cmd, text=True, capture_output=True)
                     if completed_proc.stdout.count('\n') != 0:
@@ -118,7 +120,8 @@ class LayerIndexPlugin(ActionPlugin):
 
         # Fast path, check if we already have what has been requested!
         (dependencies, invalidnames) = cookerIndex.find_dependencies(names=args.layername, ignores=ignore_layers)
-        if not args.show_only and not invalidnames:
+        if not args.show_only and not invalidnames and not args.branch:
+            # Only skip if no specific branch was requested
             logger.plain("You already have the requested layer(s): %s" % args.layername)
             return 0
 
@@ -202,8 +205,44 @@ class LayerIndexPlugin(ActionPlugin):
             for deplayerbranch in dependencies:
                 layerBranch = dependencies[deplayerbranch][0]
 
-                if layerBranch.index.config['TYPE'] == 'cooker':
-                    # Anything loaded via cooker is already local, skip it
+                is_cooker_layer = layerBranch.index.config['TYPE'] == 'cooker'
+
+                if is_cooker_layer:
+                    # Anything loaded via cooker is already local
+                    # If a branch was specified, we still need to check/switch branches
+                    if args.branch:
+                        # Map collection names to layer paths (same as cooker plugin does)
+                        layerconfs = self.tinfoil.config_data.varhistory.get_variable_items_files('BBFILE_COLLECTIONS')
+                        bbfile_collections = {layer: os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(path)) for layer, path in layerconfs.items()}
+
+                        # Get the layer path for this cooker layer's collection
+                        collection_name = layerBranch.collection
+                        if collection_name in bbfile_collections:
+                            bblayer = bbfile_collections[collection_name]
+                            if os.path.exists(bblayer):
+                                try:
+                                    # Find the git repository root
+                                    gitdir_cmd = ['git', '-C', bblayer, 'rev-parse', '--show-toplevel']
+                                    result = subprocess.run(gitdir_cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
+                                    if result.returncode == 0:
+                                        repo_root = result.stdout.strip()
+                                        # Get the subdir relative to repo root
+                                        rel_subdir = os.path.relpath(bblayer, repo_root) if bblayer != repo_root else ''
+                                        # Get parent dir of repo as fetchdir
+                                        parent_fetchdir = os.path.dirname(repo_root)
+                                        # Now call get_fetch_layer to check/switch branch
+                                        # Use args.branch (the requested branch) not layerBranch.actual_branch (current branch)
+                                        _, name, _ = self.get_fetch_layer(parent_fetchdir,
+                                                                          layerBranch.layer.vcs_url,
+                                                                          rel_subdir,
+                                                                          not args.show_only,
+                                                                          args.branch,
+                                                                          args.shallow)
+                                        if not name:
+                                            # Error during branch check/switch
+                                            return 1
+                                except subprocess.SubprocessError:
+                                    pass  # Not a git repo, skip
                     continue
 
                 subdir, name, layerdir = self.get_fetch_layer(fetchdir,