diff --git a/internal/importer/importer.go b/internal/importer/importer.go
index a27a51a6..9220c5f7 100644
--- a/internal/importer/importer.go
+++ b/internal/importer/importer.go
@@ -537,12 +537,28 @@ func upsertIssues(ctx context.Context, sqliteStore *sqlite.SQLiteStorage, issues
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Batch create all new issues
+	// Batch create all new issues with topological sorting
+	// Sort by hierarchy depth to ensure parents are created before children
+	// This prevents "parent does not exist" errors when importing hierarchical issues
 	if len(newIssues) > 0 {
-		if err := sqliteStore.CreateIssues(ctx, newIssues, "import"); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error creating issues: %w", err)
+		SortByDepth(newIssues)
+
+		// Create issues in depth-order batches (max depth 3)
+		// This handles parent-child pairs in the same import batch
+		for depth := 0; depth <= 3; depth++ {
+			var batchForDepth []*types.Issue
+			for _, issue := range newIssues {
+				if GetHierarchyDepth(issue.ID) == depth {
+					batchForDepth = append(batchForDepth, issue)
+				}
+			}
+			if len(batchForDepth) > 0 {
+				if err := sqliteStore.CreateIssues(ctx, batchForDepth, "import"); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("error creating depth-%d issues: %w", depth, err)
+				}
+				result.Created += len(batchForDepth)
+			}
 		}
-		result.Created += len(newIssues)
 	}
 
 	// REMOVED (bd-c7af): Counter sync after import - no longer needed with hash IDs
diff --git a/internal/importer/sort.go b/internal/importer/sort.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..23f3854a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/importer/sort.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package importer
+
+import (
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/steveyegge/beads/internal/types"
+)
+
+// GetHierarchyDepth returns the depth of a hierarchical issue ID.
+// Depth is determined by the number of dots in the ID.
+// Examples:
+//   - "bd-abc123" → 0 (top-level)
+//   - "bd-abc123.1" → 1 (one level deep)
+//   - "bd-abc123.1.2" → 2 (two levels deep)
+func GetHierarchyDepth(id string) int {
+	return strings.Count(id, ".")
+}
+
+// SortByDepth sorts issues by hierarchy depth (shallow to deep) with stable sorting.
+// Issues at the same depth are sorted by ID for deterministic ordering.
+// This ensures parent issues are processed before their children.
+func SortByDepth(issues []*types.Issue) {
+	sort.SliceStable(issues, func(i, j int) bool {
+		depthI := GetHierarchyDepth(issues[i].ID)
+		depthJ := GetHierarchyDepth(issues[j].ID)
+		if depthI != depthJ {
+			return depthI < depthJ
+		}
+		return issues[i].ID < issues[j].ID
+	})
+}
+
+// GroupByDepth groups issues into buckets by hierarchy depth.
+// Returns a map where keys are depth levels and values are slices of issues at that depth.
+// Maximum supported depth is 3 (as per beads spec).
+func GroupByDepth(issues []*types.Issue) map[int][]*types.Issue {
+	groups := make(map[int][]*types.Issue)
+	for _, issue := range issues {
+		depth := GetHierarchyDepth(issue.ID)
+		groups[depth] = append(groups[depth], issue)
+	}
+	return groups
+}
diff --git a/internal/importer/sort_test.go b/internal/importer/sort_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f4f059c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/importer/sort_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package importer
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/steveyegge/beads/internal/types"
+)
+
+func TestGetHierarchyDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		id       string
+		expected int
+	}{
+		{"top-level", "bd-abc123", 0},
+		{"one level", "bd-abc123.1", 1},
+		{"two levels", "bd-abc123.1.2", 2},
+		{"three levels", "bd-abc123.1.2.3", 3},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := GetHierarchyDepth(tt.id)
+			if got != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("GetHierarchyDepth(%q) = %d, want %d", tt.id, got, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSortByDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		input    []*types.Issue
+		expected []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "already sorted",
+			input: []*types.Issue{
+				{ID: "bd-abc"},
+				{ID: "bd-abc.1"},
+				{ID: "bd-abc.2"},
+			},
+			expected: []string{"bd-abc", "bd-abc.1", "bd-abc.2"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "child before parent",
+			input: []*types.Issue{
+				{ID: "bd-abc.1"},
+				{ID: "bd-abc"},
+			},
+			expected: []string{"bd-abc", "bd-abc.1"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "complex hierarchy",
+			input: []*types.Issue{
+				{ID: "bd-abc.1.2"},
+				{ID: "bd-xyz"},
+				{ID: "bd-abc"},
+				{ID: "bd-abc.1"},
+			},
+			expected: []string{"bd-abc", "bd-xyz", "bd-abc.1", "bd-abc.1.2"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "stable sort same depth",
+			input: []*types.Issue{
+				{ID: "bd-zzz.1"},
+				{ID: "bd-aaa.1"},
+				{ID: "bd-mmm.1"},
+			},
+			expected: []string{"bd-aaa.1", "bd-mmm.1", "bd-zzz.1"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			SortByDepth(tt.input)
+			for i, issue := range tt.input {
+				if issue.ID != tt.expected[i] {
+					t.Errorf("Position %d: got %q, want %q", i, issue.ID, tt.expected[i])
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGroupByDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	input := []*types.Issue{
+		{ID: "bd-abc"},
+		{ID: "bd-xyz"},
+		{ID: "bd-abc.1"},
+		{ID: "bd-abc.2"},
+		{ID: "bd-abc.1.1"},
+	}
+
+	groups := GroupByDepth(input)
+
+	if len(groups[0]) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Depth 0: got %d issues, want 2", len(groups[0]))
+	}
+	if len(groups[1]) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Depth 1: got %d issues, want 2", len(groups[1]))
+	}
+	if len(groups[2]) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Depth 2: got %d issues, want 1", len(groups[2]))
+	}
+
+	if groups[0][0].ID != "bd-abc" && groups[0][1].ID != "bd-abc" {
+		t.Error("bd-abc not found in depth 0")
+	}
+	if groups[0][0].ID != "bd-xyz" && groups[0][1].ID != "bd-xyz" {
+		t.Error("bd-xyz not found in depth 0")
+	}
+	if groups[2][0].ID != "bd-abc.1.1" {
+		t.Errorf("Depth 2: got %q, want bd-abc.1.1", groups[2][0].ID)
+	}
+}