diff --git a/ndsl/stencils/testing/savepoint.py b/ndsl/stencils/testing/savepoint.py
index 22263b40..9fee7498 100644
--- a/ndsl/stencils/testing/savepoint.py
+++ b/ndsl/stencils/testing/savepoint.py
@@ -22,20 +22,22 @@ def _process_if_scalar(value: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray | float | int:
 
 
 class DataLoader:
-    def __init__(self, rank: int, data_path: Path) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, rank: int, data_path: Path, i_call: int) -> None:
         self._data_path = data_path
         self._rank = rank
+        self._i_call = i_call
 
     def load(
         self,
         name: str,
         postfix: str = "",
-        i_call: int = 0,
+        use_dynamic_i_call: bool = False,
     ) -> dict[str, np.ndarray | float | int]:
+        call_index = self._i_call if use_dynamic_i_call else 0
         return dataset_to_dict(
             xr.open_dataset(self._data_path / f"{name}{postfix}.nc")
             .isel(rank=self._rank)
-            .isel(savepoint=i_call)
+            .isel(savepoint=call_index)
         )
 
 
diff --git a/ndsl/stencils/testing/test_translate.py b/ndsl/stencils/testing/test_translate.py
index c7f7fa22..a4068269 100644
--- a/ndsl/stencils/testing/test_translate.py
+++ b/ndsl/stencils/testing/test_translate.py
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ def test_sequential_savepoint(
     original_input_data = copy.deepcopy(input_data)
     # give the user a chance to load data from other savepoints to allow
     # for gathering required data from multiple sources (constants, etc.)
-    case.testobj.extra_data_load(DataLoader(case.grid.rank, case.data_dir))
+    case.testobj.extra_data_load(DataLoader(case.grid.rank, case.data_dir, case.i_call))
 
     # run python version of functionality
     output = case.testobj.compute(input_data)