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+# Cross-Project Dependencies
+
+> Design for tracking dependencies across project boundaries without coupling to
+> specific orchestrators.
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+When working on Gas Town, we frequently hit dependencies on Beads features (and
+vice versa). Currently there's no formal mechanism to:
+
+1. Declare "I need capability X from project Y"
+2. Signal "capability X is now available"
+3. Park work waiting on external dependencies
+4. Resume work when dependencies are satisfied
+
+## Design Principles
+
+1. **Beads-native**: The core mechanism lives in Beads, not Gas Town
+2. **Orchestrator-agnostic**: Works with Gas Town, other orchestrators, or none
+3. **Capability-based**: Reference published capabilities, not internal issue IDs
+4. **Semaphore pattern**: Producer signals, consumers wait, no coordinator required
+
+## The Mechanism
+
+### Provider Side: Shipping Capabilities
+
+Projects declare and ship capabilities using labels:
+
+```bash
+# Declare intent (optional, for visibility)
+bd create --title="Add --assignee to mol run" \
+  --add-label=export:mol-run-assignee
+
+# ... do work, close issue ...
+
+# Ship the capability (adds provides: label)
+bd ship mol-run-assignee
+```
+
+The `bd ship` command:
+- Finds issue with `export:mol-run-assignee` label
+- Validates issue is closed (or `--force`)
+- Adds `provides:mol-run-assignee` label
+- Optionally notifies downstream (future)
+
+**Protected namespace**: `provides:*` labels can only be added via `bd ship`.
+
+### Consumer Side: Declaring Dependencies
+
+Projects declare external dependencies on capabilities:
+
+```bash
+# At creation
+bd create --title="Use --assignee in spawn.go" \
+  --blocked-by="external:beads:mol-run-assignee"
+
+# Or later
+bd update gt-xyz --blocked-by="external:beads:mol-run-assignee"
+```
+
+The `external:project:capability` syntax:
+- `external:` - prefix indicating cross-project reference
+- `project` - name from `external_projects` config
+- `capability` - the capability name (matches `provides:X` label)
+
+### Configuration
+
+Projects configure paths to external projects:
+
+```yaml
+# .beads/config.yaml
+external_projects:
+  beads: ../beads
+  gastown: ../gastown
+  # Can also use absolute paths
+  other: /Users/steve/projects/other
+```
+
+### Resolution
+
+`bd ready` checks external dependencies:
+
+```bash
+bd ready
+# gt-xyz: blocked by external:beads:mol-run-assignee (not provided)
+# gt-abc: ready
+
+# After beads ships the capability:
+bd ready
+# gt-xyz: ready
+# gt-abc: ready
+```
+
+## Molecule Integration
+
+### Parking a Molecule
+
+When a polecat hits an external dependency mid-molecule:
+
+```bash
+# Polecat discovers external dep not satisfied
+gt park --step=gt-mol.3 --waiting="beads:mol-run-assignee"
+```
+
+This command:
+1. Adds `blocked_by: external:beads:mol-run-assignee` to the step
+2. Clears assignee on the step and molecule root
+3. Sends handoff mail to self with context
+4. Shuts down the polecat
+
+**"Parked" is a derived state**, not a new status:
+- Molecule status: `in_progress`
+- Molecule assignee: `null`
+- Has step with unsatisfied external `blocked_by`
+
+### Querying Parked Work
+
+```bash
+# Find parked molecules
+bd list --status=in_progress --no-assignee --type=molecule
+
+# See what's blocked and on what
+bd list --has-external-block
+```
+
+### Resuming Parked Work
+
+**Manual (launch):**
+```bash
+gt spawn --continue gt-mol-root
+# Spawns polecat, which reads handoff mail and continues
+```
+
+**Automated (future):**
+Deacon patrol checks parked molecules:
+```yaml
+- step: check-parked-molecules
+  action: |
+    For each molecule with status=in_progress, no assignee:
+      Check if external deps are satisfied
+      If yes: spawn polecat to resume
+```
+
+## Implementation Plan
+
+### Phase 1: Beads Core (bd-* issues)
+
+1. **bd ship command**: Add `provides:` label, protect namespace
+2. **external: blocked_by**: Parse and store external references
+3. **external_projects config**: Add to config schema
+4. **bd ready resolution**: Check external deps via configured paths
+
+### Phase 2: Gas Town Integration (gt-* issues)
+
+1. **gt park command**: Set blocked_by, clear assignee, handoff, shutdown
+2. **gt spawn --continue**: Resume parked molecule
+3. **Patrol step**: Check parked molecules for unblocked
+
+### Phase 3: Automation (future)
+
+1. Push notifications on `bd ship`
+2. Auto-resume via patrol
+3. Cross-rig visibility in `gt status`
+
+## Examples
+
+### Full Flow: Adding --assignee to bd mol run
+
+**In beads repo:**
+```bash
+# Dave creates the issue
+bd create --title="Add --assignee flag to bd mol run" \
+  --type=feature \
+  --add-label=export:mol-run-assignee
+
+# Dave implements, tests, closes
+bd close bd-xyz
+
+# Dave ships the capability
+bd ship mol-run-assignee
+# Output: Shipped mol-run-assignee (bd-xyz)
+```
+
+**In gastown repo:**
+```bash
+# Earlier: Joe created dependent issue
+bd create --title="Use --assignee in spawn.go" \
+  --blocked-by="external:beads:mol-run-assignee"
+
+# bd ready showed it as blocked
+bd ready
+# gt-abc: blocked by external:beads:mol-run-assignee
+
+# After Dave ships:
+bd ready
+# gt-abc: ready
+
+# Joe picks it up
+bd update gt-abc --status=in_progress --assignee=gastown/joe
+```
+
+### Parking Mid-Molecule
+
+```bash
+# Polecat working on molecule, hits step 3
+# Step 3 needs beads:mol-run-assignee which isn't shipped
+
+gt park --step=gt-mol.3 --waiting="beads:mol-run-assignee"
+# Setting blocked_by on gt-mol.3...
+# Clearing assignee on gt-mol.3...
+# Clearing assignee on gt-mol-root...
+# Sending handoff mail...
+# Polecat shutting down.
+
+# Later, after beads ships:
+gt spawn --continue gt-mol-root
+# Resuming molecule gt-mol-root...
+# Reading handoff context...
+# Continuing from step gt-mol.3
+```
+
+## Design Decisions
+
+### Why capability labels, not issue references?
+
+Referencing `beads:bd-xyz` couples consumer to producer's internal tracking.
+Referencing `beads:mol-run-assignee` couples to a published interface.
+
+The producer can refactor, split, or reimplement bd-xyz without breaking consumers.
+
+### Why "parked" as derived state?
+
+Adding a new status creates migration burden and complicates the state machine.
+Deriving from existing fields (in_progress + no assignee + blocked) is simpler.
+
+### Why handoff via mail?
+
+Mail already handles context preservation. Parking is just a handoff to future-self
+(or future-polecat). No new mechanism needed.
+
+### Why config-based project resolution?
+
+Alternatives considered:
+- Git remote queries (complex, requires network)
+- Hardcoded paths (inflexible)
+- Central registry (single point of failure)
+
+Config is simple, explicit, and works offline.
diff --git a/docs/molecules.md b/docs/molecules.md
index 43057bad..867b4307 100644
--- a/docs/molecules.md
+++ b/docs/molecules.md
@@ -621,6 +621,45 @@ Codebase improves overnight
 Repeat weekly
 ```
 
+## Cross-Project Dependencies and Parking
+
+Molecules can hit external dependencies that block progress. See
+[cross-project-deps.md](cross-project-deps.md) for the full design.
+
+### Parking a Molecule
+
+When a molecule step depends on a capability from another project:
+
+```bash
+# Polecat discovers external dependency not satisfied
+gt park --step=gt-mol.3 --waiting="beads:mol-run-assignee"
+```
+
+The molecule enters a **parked** state (derived from: in_progress + no assignee + blocked step).
+
+### Resuming a Parked Molecule
+
+When the external dependency is satisfied:
+
+```bash
+# Manual resume
+gt spawn --continue gt-mol-root
+
+# Or automated via Deacon patrol (future)
+```
+
+### Parked State
+
+"Parked" is not a new status - it's derived from existing fields:
+- Molecule status: `in_progress`
+- Molecule assignee: `null` (no polecat owns it)
+- Has step with unsatisfied `blocked_by: external:...`
+
+Query parked molecules:
+```bash
+bd list --status=in_progress --no-assignee --type=molecule
+```
+
 ## Future Extensions
 
 ### Custom Molecule Types