diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/sql.go b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/sql.go
index 4a1101d562e..2b48d4dcb03 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/sql.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/sql.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os/signal"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ If a server is running for the database in question, then the query will go thro
 
 var ErrMultipleDoltCfgDirs = errors.NewKind("multiple .doltcfg directories detected: '%s' and '%s'; pass one of the directories using option --doltcfg-dir")
 
+var doltCheckoutWarned sync.Once
+
 const (
 	QueryFlag             = "query"
 	FormatFlag            = "result-format"
@@ -411,6 +414,12 @@ func queryMode(
 		return sqlHandleVErrAndExitCode(qryist, errhand.VerboseErrorFromError(err), usage)
 	}
 
+	if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(query), "dolt_checkout") {
+		doltCheckoutWarned.Do(func() {
+			cli.PrintErrf("warning: dolt_checkout() only affects the current session. To persist the branch change, include additional statements in the same -q invocation or use 'dolt checkout' instead.\n")
+		})
+	}
+
 	return 0
 }
 
diff --git a/integration-tests/bats/sql.bats b/integration-tests/bats/sql.bats
index 836405704bf..805f7f531ac 100755
--- a/integration-tests/bats/sql.bats
+++ b/integration-tests/bats/sql.bats
@@ -1855,6 +1855,14 @@ CALL dolt_checkout('feature-branch');
 SQL
 }
 
+@test "sql: DOLT_CHECKOUT warning is emitted once across multiple -q invocations" {
+    run dolt sql -q "call dolt_checkout('-b', 'feature-branch')" -q "call dolt_checkout('main')"
+    [ $status -eq 0 ]
+
+    warning_count=$(printf '%s\n' "$output" | grep -c "warning: dolt_checkout() only affects the current session")
+    [ "$warning_count" -eq 1 ]
+}
+
 @test "sql: USE fake hash throws error" {
     dolt add .; dolt commit -m 'commit tables'