diff --git a/src/runtime/python/pypgf.c b/src/runtime/python/pypgf.c
index 9f9ea0577..acd73deb8 100644
--- a/src/runtime/python/pypgf.c
+++ b/src/runtime/python/pypgf.c
@@ -1424,7 +1424,7 @@ static PyMethodDef PGF_methods[] = {
     {"exprProbability", (PyCFunction)PGF_exprProbability, METH_VARARGS,
      "Returns the probability of an expression"
     },
-    {"checkoutBranch", (PyCFunction)PGF_checkoutBranch, METH_VARARGS,
+    {"checkoutBranch", (PyCFunction)PGF_checkoutBranch, METH_NOARGS,
      "Checks out the latest branch of the repository"
     },
     {"newTransaction", (PyCFunction)PGF_newTransaction, METH_VARARGS,
diff --git a/src/runtime/python/transactions.c b/src/runtime/python/transactions.c
index d585c3170..585b931b8 100644
--- a/src/runtime/python/transactions.c
+++ b/src/runtime/python/transactions.c
@@ -10,20 +10,12 @@
 PyObject *
 PGF_checkoutBranch(PGFObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, ""))
-        return NULL;
-
     PgfExn err;
     PgfRevision rev = pgf_checkout_revision(self->db, &err);
 
     if (handleError(err) != PGF_EXN_NONE) {
         return NULL;
     }
-    if (rev == 0) {
-        // is this possible?
-        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_KeyError, "unknown branch name");
-        return NULL;
-    }
 
     pgf_free_revision(self->db, self->revision);
     self->revision = rev;