diff --git a/internal/cmd/sling.go b/internal/cmd/sling.go
index 17fbac6c..2e4264b3 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/sling.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/sling.go
@@ -1242,7 +1242,8 @@ func createAutoConvoy(beadID, beadTitle string) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Add tracking relation: convoy tracks the issue
-	depArgs := []string{"dep", "add", convoyID, beadID, "--type=tracks"}
+	trackBeadID := formatTrackBeadID(beadID)
+	depArgs := []string{"dep", "add", convoyID, trackBeadID, "--type=tracks"}
 	depCmd := exec.Command("bd", depArgs...)
 	depCmd.Dir = townBeads
 	depCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
@@ -1280,10 +1281,10 @@ func runBatchSling(beadIDs []string, rigName string, townBeadsDir string) error
 
 	// Track results for summary
 	type slingResult struct {
-		beadID   string
-		polecat  string
-		success  bool
-		errMsg   string
+		beadID  string
+		polecat string
+		success bool
+		errMsg  string
 	}
 	results := make([]slingResult, 0, len(beadIDs))
 
@@ -1401,3 +1402,24 @@ func runBatchSling(beadIDs []string, rigName string, townBeadsDir string) error
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// formatTrackBeadID formats a bead ID for use in convoy tracking dependencies.
+// Cross-rig beads (non-hq- prefixed) are formatted as external references
+// so the bd tool can resolve them when running from HQ context.
+//
+// Examples:
+//   - "hq-abc123" -> "hq-abc123" (HQ beads unchanged)
+//   - "gt-mol-xyz" -> "external:gt-mol:gt-mol-xyz"
+//   - "beads-task-123" -> "external:beads-task:beads-task-123"
+func formatTrackBeadID(beadID string) string {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(beadID, "hq-") {
+		return beadID
+	}
+	parts := strings.SplitN(beadID, "-", 3)
+	if len(parts) >= 2 {
+		rigPrefix := parts[0] + "-" + parts[1]
+		return fmt.Sprintf("external:%s:%s", rigPrefix, beadID)
+	}
+	// Fallback for malformed IDs (single segment)
+	return beadID
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/sling_test.go b/internal/cmd/sling_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a56c127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/sling_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+package cmd
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestFormatTrackBeadID(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		beadID   string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		// HQ beads should remain unchanged
+		{
+			name:     "hq bead unchanged",
+			beadID:   "hq-abc123",
+			expected: "hq-abc123",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "hq convoy unchanged",
+			beadID:   "hq-cv-xyz789",
+			expected: "hq-cv-xyz789",
+		},
+
+		// Cross-rig beads get external: prefix
+		{
+			name:     "gastown rig bead",
+			beadID:   "gt-mol-abc123",
+			expected: "external:gt-mol:gt-mol-abc123",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "beads rig task",
+			beadID:   "beads-task-xyz",
+			expected: "external:beads-task:beads-task-xyz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "two segment ID",
+			beadID:   "foo-bar",
+			expected: "external:foo-bar:foo-bar",
+		},
+
+		// Edge cases
+		{
+			name:     "single segment fallback",
+			beadID:   "orphan",
+			expected: "orphan",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "empty string fallback",
+			beadID:   "",
+			expected: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "many segments",
+			beadID:   "a-b-c-d-e-f",
+			expected: "external:a-b:a-b-c-d-e-f",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := formatTrackBeadID(tt.beadID)
+			if result != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("formatTrackBeadID(%q) = %q, want %q", tt.beadID, result, tt.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFormatTrackBeadIDConsumerCompatibility verifies that the external ref format
+// produced by formatTrackBeadID can be correctly parsed by the consumer pattern
+// used in convoy.go, model.go, feed/convoy.go, and web/fetcher.go.
+func TestFormatTrackBeadIDConsumerCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
+	// Consumer pattern from convoy.go:1062-1068:
+	// if strings.HasPrefix(issueID, "external:") {
+	//     parts := strings.SplitN(issueID, ":", 3)
+	//     if len(parts) == 3 {
+	//         issueID = parts[2] // Extract the actual issue ID
+	//     }
+	// }
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name           string
+		beadID         string
+		wantOriginalID string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "cross-rig bead round-trips",
+			beadID:         "gt-mol-abc123",
+			wantOriginalID: "gt-mol-abc123",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "beads rig bead round-trips",
+			beadID:         "beads-task-xyz",
+			wantOriginalID: "beads-task-xyz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "hq bead unchanged",
+			beadID:         "hq-abc123",
+			wantOriginalID: "hq-abc123",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			formatted := formatTrackBeadID(tt.beadID)
+
+			// Simulate consumer parsing logic
+			parsed := formatted
+			if len(formatted) > 9 && formatted[:9] == "external:" {
+				parts := make([]string, 0, 3)
+				start := 0
+				count := 0
+				for i := 0; i < len(formatted) && count < 2; i++ {
+					if formatted[i] == ':' {
+						parts = append(parts, formatted[start:i])
+						start = i + 1
+						count++
+					}
+				}
+				if count == 2 {
+					parts = append(parts, formatted[start:])
+				}
+				if len(parts) == 3 {
+					parsed = parts[2]
+				}
+			}
+
+			if parsed != tt.wantOriginalID {
+				t.Errorf("round-trip failed: formatTrackBeadID(%q) = %q, parsed back to %q, want %q",
+					tt.beadID, formatted, parsed, tt.wantOriginalID)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}