diff --git a/internal/cmd/hook.go b/internal/cmd/hook.go
index e2833edb..0baa0fda 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/hook.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/hook.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/beads"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/events"
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/style"
+	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/workspace"
 )
 
 var hookCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -147,6 +148,12 @@ func runHook(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("detecting agent identity: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Find town root (needed for cross-prefix bead resolution)
+	townRoot, err := workspace.FindFromCwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("finding workspace: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	// Find beads directory
 	workDir, err := findLocalBeadsDir()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -225,9 +232,15 @@ func runHook(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// Hook the bead using beads package (uses RPC when daemon available)
-	status := beads.StatusHooked
-	if err := b.Update(beadID, beads.UpdateOptions{Status: &status, Assignee: &agentID}); err != nil {
+	// Hook the bead using bd update with cross-prefix routing.
+	// The bead may be in a different beads database than the agent's local one
+	// (e.g., hooking an hq-* bead from a rig worker). Use ResolveHookDir to
+	// find the correct database directory based on the bead's prefix.
+	// See: https://github.com/steveyegge/gastown/issues/gt-rphsv
+	hookCmd := exec.Command("bd", "--no-daemon", "update", beadID, "--status=hooked", "--assignee="+agentID)
+	hookCmd.Dir = beads.ResolveHookDir(townRoot, beadID, workDir)
+	hookCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	if err := hookCmd.Run(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("hooking bead: %w", err)
 	}
 
@@ -235,6 +248,12 @@ func runHook(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	fmt.Printf("  Use 'gt handoff' to restart with this work\n")
 	fmt.Printf("  Use 'gt hook' to see hook status\n")
 
+	// Update agent bead's hook_bead slot for status queries.
+	// This enables `gt hook status` to find cross-prefix hooked beads.
+	// The agent bead has a hook_bead database field that tracks current work.
+	townBeadsDir := filepath.Join(townRoot, ".beads")
+	updateAgentHookBead(agentID, beadID, workDir, townBeadsDir)
+
 	// Log hook event to activity feed (non-fatal)
 	if err := events.LogFeed(events.TypeHook, agentID, events.HookPayload(beadID)); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s Warning: failed to log hook event: %v\n", style.Dim.Render("⚠"), err)
diff --git a/internal/cmd/hook_slot_integration_test.go b/internal/cmd/hook_slot_integration_test.go
index 16521387..e4e4ab34 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/hook_slot_integration_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/hook_slot_integration_test.go
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ func setupHookTestTown(t *testing.T) (townRoot, polecatDir string) {
 
 	// Create routes.jsonl
 	routes := []beads.Route{
-		{Prefix: "hq-", Path: "."},                     // Town-level beads
-		{Prefix: "gt-", Path: "gastown/mayor/rig"},     // Gastown rig
+		{Prefix: "hq-", Path: "."},                 // Town-level beads
+		{Prefix: "gt-", Path: "gastown/mayor/rig"}, // Gastown rig
 	}
 	if err := beads.WriteRoutes(townBeadsDir, routes); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("write routes: %v", err)
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ func initBeadsDB(t *testing.T, dir string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Note: initBeadsDBWithPrefix is defined in beads_routing_integration_test.go
+
 // TestHookSlot_BasicHook verifies that a bead can be hooked to an agent.
 func TestHookSlot_BasicHook(t *testing.T) {
 	// Skip if bd is not available
@@ -486,3 +488,118 @@ func TestHookSlot_StatusTransitions(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("final status = %s, want closed", closed.Status)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestHookSlot_CrossPrefixHook verifies that beads with different prefixes can be hooked
+// using the correct database routing. This is the fix for issue gt-rphsv.
+func TestHookSlot_CrossPrefixHook(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := exec.LookPath("bd"); err != nil {
+		t.Skip("bd not installed, skipping test")
+	}
+
+	townRoot, polecatDir := setupHookTestTown(t)
+
+	// Initialize beads in both town-level (hq- prefix) and rig-level (gt- prefix)
+	// Note: bd init must be run from parent directory, not inside .beads
+	initBeadsDBWithPrefix(t, townRoot, "hq")
+
+	rigDir := filepath.Join(polecatDir, "..", "..", "mayor", "rig")
+	initBeadsDBWithPrefix(t, rigDir, "gt")
+
+	// Create beads instances for both databases
+	townBeads := beads.New(townRoot) // Uses routes.jsonl to route to correct DB
+	rigBeads := beads.New(rigDir)
+
+	// Create an hq-* bead in town beads
+	townBeadsInstance := beads.New(townRoot)
+	hqIssue, err := townBeadsInstance.Create(beads.CreateOptions{
+		Title:    "HQ task for cross-prefix test",
+		Type:     "task",
+		Priority: 2,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create hq bead: %v", err)
+	}
+	// The bead ID should have hq- prefix since we initialized town beads with that prefix
+	t.Logf("Created HQ bead: %s", hqIssue.ID)
+
+	// Create a gt-* bead in rig beads
+	gtIssue, err := rigBeads.Create(beads.CreateOptions{
+		Title:    "Rig task for cross-prefix test",
+		Type:     "task",
+		Priority: 2,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create rig bead: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Logf("Created rig bead: %s", gtIssue.ID)
+
+	agentID := "gastown/polecats/toast"
+
+	// Test 1: Hook the HQ bead using ResolveHookDir (simulating runHook fix)
+	hookDir := beads.ResolveHookDir(townRoot, hqIssue.ID, rigDir)
+	t.Logf("ResolveHookDir(%s, %s, %s) = %s", townRoot, hqIssue.ID, rigDir, hookDir)
+
+	// Hook the HQ bead via bd command with correct directory routing
+	hookCmd := exec.Command("bd", "--no-daemon", "update", hqIssue.ID, "--status=hooked", "--assignee="+agentID)
+	hookCmd.Dir = hookDir
+	if output, err := hookCmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("hook hq bead: %v\n%s", err, output)
+	}
+
+	// Verify the HQ bead is hooked by querying town beads
+	hookedHQ, err := townBeadsInstance.List(beads.ListOptions{
+		Status:   beads.StatusHooked,
+		Assignee: agentID,
+		Priority: -1,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("list hooked hq beads: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(hookedHQ) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 hooked HQ bead, got %d", len(hookedHQ))
+	}
+	if len(hookedHQ) > 0 && hookedHQ[0].ID != hqIssue.ID {
+		t.Errorf("hooked HQ bead ID = %s, want %s", hookedHQ[0].ID, hqIssue.ID)
+	}
+
+	// Test 2: Verify rig beads are still queryable separately
+	status := beads.StatusHooked
+	if err := rigBeads.Update(gtIssue.ID, beads.UpdateOptions{
+		Status:   &status,
+		Assignee: &agentID,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("hook rig bead: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	hookedRig, err := rigBeads.List(beads.ListOptions{
+		Status:   beads.StatusHooked,
+		Assignee: agentID,
+		Priority: -1,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("list hooked rig beads: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(hookedRig) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 hooked rig bead, got %d", len(hookedRig))
+	}
+	if len(hookedRig) > 0 && hookedRig[0].ID != gtIssue.ID {
+		t.Errorf("hooked rig bead ID = %s, want %s", hookedRig[0].ID, gtIssue.ID)
+	}
+
+	// Verify the databases are separate
+	t.Logf("HQ bead %s hooked in town DB, Rig bead %s hooked in rig DB", hqIssue.ID, gtIssue.ID)
+
+	// Verify the HQ bead is NOT in the rig database
+	_, err = rigBeads.Show(hqIssue.ID)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Log("Note: HQ bead found in rig DB - this may indicate routing is working via redirect")
+	}
+
+	// Verify the rig bead is NOT in the town database
+	_, err = townBeads.Show(gtIssue.ID)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Log("Note: Rig bead found in town DB - this may indicate routing is working")
+	}
+}