diff --git a/swh/web/browse/views/utils/snapshot_context.py b/swh/web/browse/views/utils/snapshot_context.py
--- a/swh/web/browse/views/utils/snapshot_context.py
+++ b/swh/web/browse/views/utils/snapshot_context.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
             return snp_branch[0]
 
 
-def _get_release(releases, release_name):
+def _get_release(releases, release_name, snapshot_id):
     """
     Utility function to get a specific release from a releases list.
     Returns None if the release can not be found in the list.
@@ -71,10 +71,21 @@
     filtered_releases = [r for r in releases if r['name'] == release_name]
     if filtered_releases:
         return filtered_releases[0]
-
-
-def _branch_not_found(branch_type, branch, branches, snapshot_id=None,
-                      origin_info=None, timestamp=None, visit_id=None):
+    else:
+        # case where a large branches list has been truncated
+        for branch_name in (release_name, f'refs/tags/{release_name}'):
+            snp = service.lookup_snapshot(snapshot_id,
+                                          branches_from=branch_name,
+                                          branches_count=1,
+                                          target_types=['release'])
+            _, snp_release = process_snapshot_branches(snp)
+            if snp_release and snp_release[0]['name'] == release_name:
+                releases.append(snp_release[0])
+                return snp_release[0]
+
+
+def _branch_not_found(branch_type, branch, snapshot_id, snapshot_size,
+                      origin_info, timestamp, visit_id):
     """
     Utility function to raise an exception when a specified branch/release
     can not be found.
@@ -82,17 +93,19 @@
     if branch_type == 'branch':
         branch_type = 'Branch'
         branch_type_plural = 'branches'
+        target_type = 'revision'
     else:
         branch_type = 'Release'
         branch_type_plural = 'releases'
+        target_type = 'release'
 
-    if snapshot_id and not branches:
+    if snapshot_id and snapshot_size[target_type] == 0:
         msg = ('Snapshot with id %s has an empty list'
                ' of %s!' % (snapshot_id, branch_type_plural))
     elif snapshot_id:
         msg = ('%s %s for snapshot with id %s'
                ' not found!' % (branch_type, branch, snapshot_id))
-    elif visit_id and not branches:
+    elif visit_id and snapshot_size[target_type] == 0:
         msg = ('Origin with url %s'
                ' for visit with id %s has an empty list'
                ' of %s!' % (origin_info['url'], visit_id,
@@ -102,7 +115,7 @@
                ' id %s for origin with url %s'
                ' not found!' % (branch_type, branch, visit_id,
                                 origin_info['url']))
-    elif not branches:
+    elif snapshot_size[target_type] == 0:
         msg = ('Origin with url %s'
                ' for visit with timestamp %s has an empty list'
                ' of %s!' % (origin_info['url'],
@@ -149,7 +162,8 @@
     release_id = None
     branch_name = None
 
-    snapshot_total_size = sum(snapshot_context['snapshot_size'].values())
+    snapshot_size = snapshot_context['snapshot_size']
+    snapshot_total_size = sum(snapshot_size.values())
 
     if snapshot_total_size and revision_id:
         revision = service.lookup_revision(revision_id)
@@ -161,15 +175,16 @@
         branch_name = revision_id
         query_params['revision'] = revision_id
     elif snapshot_total_size and release_name:
-        release = _get_release(releases, release_name)
+        release = _get_release(releases, release_name,
+                               snapshot_context['snapshot_id'])
         try:
             root_sha1_git = release['directory']
             revision_id = release['target']
             release_id = release['id']
             query_params['release'] = release_name
         except Exception:
-            _branch_not_found("release", release_name, releases, snapshot_id,
-                              origin_info, timestamp, visit_id)
+            _branch_not_found('release', release_name, snapshot_id,
+                              snapshot_size, origin_info, timestamp, visit_id)
     elif snapshot_total_size:
         branch_name = request.GET.get('branch', None)
         if branch_name:
@@ -181,8 +196,8 @@
             revision_id = branch['revision']
             root_sha1_git = branch['directory']
         except Exception:
-            _branch_not_found("branch", branch_name, branches, snapshot_id,
-                              origin_info, timestamp, visit_id)
+            _branch_not_found('branch', branch_name, snapshot_id,
+                              snapshot_size, origin_info, timestamp, visit_id)
 
     for b in branches:
         branch_url_args = dict(url_args)
@@ -412,6 +427,7 @@
         sha1_git = None
         query_string = None
         content_data = None
+        directory_id = None
         split_path = path.split('/')
         filename = split_path[-1]
         filepath = path[:-len(filename)]
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_origin.py b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_origin.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_origin.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_origin.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 import random
 import re
 
+import swh.web.browse.utils
+
 from django.utils.html import escape
 
 from hypothesis import given
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@
 from swh.web.tests.django_asserts import assert_contains, assert_template_used
 from swh.web.tests.strategies import (
     origin, origin_with_multiple_visits, new_origin,
-    new_snapshot, visit_dates, revisions
+    new_snapshot, visit_dates, revisions, origin_with_releases
 )
 
 
@@ -407,18 +409,25 @@
         'origin': 457,
         'snapshot': 'bdaf9ac436488a8c6cda927a0f44e172934d3f65',
         'status': 'full',
+        'type': 'git',
         'visit': 1
     }]
     mock_get_origin_visit_snapshot.side_effect = None
     mock_get_origin_visit_snapshot.return_value = ([], [])
+    mock_utils_service.lookup_snapshot_size.return_value = {
+        'revision': 0,
+        'release': 0
+    }
+    mock_utils_service.lookup_origin.return_value = {'type': 'foo',
+                                                     'url': 'bar',
+                                                     'id': 457}
     url = reverse('browse-origin-content',
                   url_args={'origin_url': 'bar',
                             'path': 'baz'})
     resp = client.get(url)
-    assert resp.status_code == 404
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
     assert_template_used('error.html')
-    assert re.search('Origin.*has an empty list of branches',
-                     resp.content.decode('utf-8'))
+    assert re.search('snapshot.*is empty', resp.content.decode('utf-8'))
 
     mock_get_origin_visit_snapshot.return_value = (
         [{'directory': 'ae59ceecf46367e8e4ad800e231fc76adc3afffb',
@@ -428,6 +437,10 @@
             'message': ''}],
         []
     )
+    mock_utils_service.lookup_snapshot_size.return_value = {
+        'revision': 1,
+        'release': 0
+    }
     mock_snapshot_service.lookup_directory_with_path.return_value = {
         'target': '5ecd9f37b7a2d2e9980d201acd6286116f2ba1f1'
     }
@@ -484,6 +497,42 @@
     assert re.search('snapshot.*is empty', resp.content.decode('utf-8'))
 
 
+@given(origin_with_releases())
+def test_origin_release_browse(client, archive_data, origin):
+    # for swh.web.browse.utils.get_snapshot_content to only return one branch
+    snapshot_max_size = swh.web.browse.utils.snapshot_content_max_size
+    swh.web.browse.utils.snapshot_content_max_size = 1
+    try:
+        snapshot = archive_data.snapshot_get_latest(origin['url'])
+        release = [b for b in snapshot['branches'].values()
+                   if b['target_type'] == 'release'][-1]
+        release_data = archive_data.release_get(release['target'])
+        url = reverse('browse-origin-directory',
+                      url_args={'origin_url': origin['url']},
+                      query_params={'release': release_data['name']})
+
+        resp = client.get(url)
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        assert_contains(resp, release_data['name'])
+        assert_contains(resp, release['target'])
+    finally:
+        swh.web.browse.utils.snapshot_content_max_size = snapshot_max_size
+
+
+@given(origin_with_releases())
+def test_origin_release_browse_not_found(client, archive_data, origin):
+
+    invalid_release_name = 'swh-foo-bar'
+    url = reverse('browse-origin-directory',
+                  url_args={'origin_url': origin['url']},
+                  query_params={'release': invalid_release_name})
+
+    resp = client.get(url)
+    assert resp.status_code == 404
+    assert re.search(f'Release {invalid_release_name}.*not found',
+                     resp.content.decode('utf-8'))
+
+
 def _origin_content_view_test_helper(client, origin_info, origin_visits,
                                      origin_branches, origin_releases,
                                      root_dir_sha1, content,
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_release.py b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_release.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_release.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/browse/views/test_release.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 )
 from swh.web.tests.django_asserts import assert_contains, assert_template_used
 from swh.web.tests.strategies import (
-    release, origin_with_release, unknown_release
+    release, origin_with_releases, unknown_release
 )
 
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     _release_browse_checks(resp, release_data)
 
 
-@given(origin_with_release())
+@given(origin_with_releases())
 def test_release_browse_with_origin(client, archive_data, origin):
     snapshot = archive_data.snapshot_get_latest(origin['url'])
     release = random.choice([b for b in snapshot['branches'].values()
diff --git a/swh/web/tests/strategies.py b/swh/web/tests/strategies.py
--- a/swh/web/tests/strategies.py
+++ b/swh/web/tests/strategies.py
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
     return sampled_from(ret)
 
 
-def origin_with_release():
+def origin_with_releases():
     """
     Hypothesis strategy returning a random origin ingested
     into the test archive.