diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
index 9159e0f58c3c..4671e54bad4e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/MetadataUpdate.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public String uuid() {
 
     @Override
     public void applyTo(TableMetadata.Builder metadataBuilder) {
-      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not implemented");
+      metadataBuilder.assignUUID(uuid);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
index 2f2671463ee5..afa2c7ac2d57 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableMetadata.java
@@ -915,6 +915,17 @@ public Builder assignUUID() {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder assignUUID(String newUuid) {
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(newUuid != null, "Cannot set uuid to null");
+
+      if (!newUuid.equals(uuid)) {
+        this.uuid = newUuid;
+        changes.add(new MetadataUpdate.AssignUUID(uuid));
+      }
+
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public Builder upgradeFormatVersion(int newFormatVersion) {
       Preconditions.checkArgument(
           newFormatVersion <= SUPPORTED_TABLE_FORMAT_VERSION,
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/RESTSessionCatalog.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/RESTSessionCatalog.java
index 8c5ce1d3ee96..0b4edc9a84f0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/RESTSessionCatalog.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/RESTSessionCatalog.java
@@ -691,6 +691,7 @@ private LoadTableResponse stageCreate() {
   private static List<MetadataUpdate> createChanges(TableMetadata meta) {
     ImmutableList.Builder<MetadataUpdate> changes = ImmutableList.builder();
 
+    changes.add(new MetadataUpdate.AssignUUID(meta.uuid()));
     changes.add(new MetadataUpdate.UpgradeFormatVersion(meta.formatVersion()));
 
     Schema schema = meta.schema();