diff --git a/backend/src/db/schema.ts b/backend/src/db/schema.ts
index 62f5690..c70dc8a 100644
--- a/backend/src/db/schema.ts
+++ b/backend/src/db/schema.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   uuid,
   text,
   integer,
+  serial,
   timestamp,
   jsonb,
   pgEnum,
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export interface ProgressNote {
 
 export const tasks = pgTable("tasks", {
   id: uuid("id").defaultRandom().primaryKey(),
+  taskNumber: serial("task_number").notNull(),
   title: text("title").notNull(),
   description: text("description"),
   source: taskSourceEnum("source").notNull().default("donovan"),
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/tasks.ts b/backend/src/routes/tasks.ts
index 5d44fd0..3330e30 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/tasks.ts
+++ b/backend/src/routes/tasks.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Elysia, t } from "elysia";
 import { db } from "../db";
 import { tasks, type ProgressNote } from "../db/schema";
-import { eq, asc, desc, sql, inArray } from "drizzle-orm";
+import { eq, asc, desc, sql, inArray, or } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { auth } from "../lib/auth";
 
 const BEARER_TOKEN = process.env.API_BEARER_TOKEN || "hammer-dev-token";
@@ -68,6 +68,23 @@ async function requireSessionOrBearer(request: Request, headers: Record<string,
   throw new Error("Unauthorized");
 }
 
+// Resolve a task by UUID or sequential number (e.g. "5" or "HQ-5")
+async function resolveTask(idOrNumber: string) {
+  // Strip "HQ-" prefix if present
+  const cleaned = idOrNumber.replace(/^HQ-/i, "");
+  const asNumber = parseInt(cleaned, 10);
+
+  let result;
+  if (!isNaN(asNumber) && String(asNumber) === cleaned) {
+    // Lookup by task_number
+    result = await db.select().from(tasks).where(eq(tasks.taskNumber, asNumber));
+  } else {
+    // Lookup by UUID
+    result = await db.select().from(tasks).where(eq(tasks.id, cleaned));
+  }
+  return result[0] || null;
+}
+
 export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
   .onError(({ error, set }) => {
     const msg = error?.message || String(error);
@@ -151,11 +168,26 @@ export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
     }
   )
 
+  // GET single task by ID or number - requires session or bearer auth
+  .get(
+    "/:id",
+    async ({ params, request, headers }) => {
+      await requireSessionOrBearer(request, headers);
+      const task = await resolveTask(params.id);
+      if (!task) throw new Error("Task not found");
+      return task;
+    },
+    { params: t.Object({ id: t.String() }) }
+  )
+
   // PATCH update task - requires session or bearer auth
   .patch(
     "/:id",
     async ({ params, body, request, headers }) => {
       await requireSessionOrBearer(request, headers);
+      const task = await resolveTask(params.id);
+      if (!task) throw new Error("Task not found");
+
       const updates: Record<string, any> = { updatedAt: new Date() };
       if (body.title !== undefined) updates.title = body.title;
       if (body.description !== undefined) updates.description = body.description;
@@ -179,7 +211,7 @@ export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
       const updated = await db
         .update(tasks)
         .set(updates)
-        .where(eq(tasks.id, params.id))
+        .where(eq(tasks.id, task.id))
         .returning();
       if (!updated.length) throw new Error("Task not found");
 
@@ -208,13 +240,10 @@ export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
     "/:id/notes",
     async ({ params, body, request, headers }) => {
       await requireSessionOrBearer(request, headers);
-      const existing = await db
-        .select()
-        .from(tasks)
-        .where(eq(tasks.id, params.id));
-      if (!existing.length) throw new Error("Task not found");
+      const task = await resolveTask(params.id);
+      if (!task) throw new Error("Task not found");
 
-      const currentNotes = (existing[0].progressNotes || []) as ProgressNote[];
+      const currentNotes = (task.progressNotes || []) as ProgressNote[];
       const newNote: ProgressNote = {
         timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
         note: body.note,
@@ -224,7 +253,7 @@ export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
       const updated = await db
         .update(tasks)
         .set({ progressNotes: currentNotes, updatedAt: new Date() })
-        .where(eq(tasks.id, params.id))
+        .where(eq(tasks.id, task.id))
         .returning();
       return updated[0];
     },
@@ -259,11 +288,9 @@ export const taskRoutes = new Elysia({ prefix: "/api/tasks" })
     "/:id",
     async ({ params, request, headers }) => {
       await requireSessionOrBearer(request, headers);
-      const deleted = await db
-        .delete(tasks)
-        .where(eq(tasks.id, params.id))
-        .returning();
-      if (!deleted.length) throw new Error("Task not found");
+      const task = await resolveTask(params.id);
+      if (!task) throw new Error("Task not found");
+      await db.delete(tasks).where(eq(tasks.id, task.id));
       return { success: true };
     },
     {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/TaskCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
index a2eca34..7f20302 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/TaskCard.tsx
@@ -66,18 +66,9 @@ export function TaskCard({
   isActive,
   onClick,
 }: TaskCardProps) {
-  const [idCopied, setIdCopied] = useState(false);
   const actions = statusActions[task.status] || [];
   const noteCount = task.progressNotes?.length || 0;
-  const shortId = task.id.slice(0, 8);
-
-  const handleCopyId = (e: React.MouseEvent) => {
-    e.stopPropagation();
-    navigator.clipboard.writeText(task.id).then(() => {
-      setIdCopied(true);
-      setTimeout(() => setIdCopied(false), 1500);
-    });
-  };
+  const displayId = task.taskNumber ? `HQ-${task.taskNumber}` : task.id.slice(0, 8);
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -104,14 +95,14 @@ export function TaskCard({
 
           <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2 flex-wrap">
             <span
-              className="text-xs px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded font-mono bg-gray-100 text-gray-500 cursor-pointer hover:bg-gray-200 transition"
-              title={`Click to copy: ${task.id}`}
+              className="text-xs px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded font-mono font-bold bg-amber-100 text-amber-700 cursor-pointer hover:bg-amber-200 transition"
+              title={`Click to copy: ${displayId}`}
               onClick={(e) => {
                 e.stopPropagation();
-                navigator.clipboard.writeText(task.id);
+                navigator.clipboard.writeText(displayId);
               }}
             >
-              {task.id.slice(0, 8)}
+              {displayId}
             </span>
             <span className={`text-xs px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full font-medium ${priorityColors[task.priority]}`}>
               {task.priority}
@@ -127,17 +118,6 @@ export function TaskCard({
                 💬 {noteCount}
               </span>
             )}
-            <button
-              onClick={handleCopyId}
-              className="text-xs font-mono text-gray-300 hover:text-amber-600 transition cursor-pointer ml-auto"
-              title={`Copy full ID: ${task.id}`}
-            >
-              {idCopied ? (
-                <span className="text-green-500">✓ copied</span>
-              ) : (
-                <span>{shortId}…</span>
-              )}
-            </button>
           </div>
 
           {task.description && (
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/TaskDetailPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/TaskDetailPanel.tsx
index 2821eb0..07359a6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/TaskDetailPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/TaskDetailPanel.tsx
@@ -118,30 +118,46 @@ function ElapsedTimer({ since }: { since: string }) {
   );
 }
 
-function CopyableId({ id }: { id: string }) {
-  const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);
+function CopyableId({ id, taskNumber }: { id: string; taskNumber?: number }) {
+  const [copied, setCopied] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const displayId = taskNumber ? `HQ-${taskNumber}` : null;
 
-  const handleCopy = () => {
-    navigator.clipboard.writeText(id).then(() => {
-      setCopied(true);
-      setTimeout(() => setCopied(false), 2000);
+  const handleCopy = (value: string, label: string) => {
+    navigator.clipboard.writeText(value).then(() => {
+      setCopied(label);
+      setTimeout(() => setCopied(null), 2000);
     });
   };
 
   return (
     <div className="px-6 py-3 border-t border-gray-100 bg-gray-50 flex items-center gap-2">
-      <span className="text-xs text-gray-400">ID:</span>
+      {displayId && (
+        <>
+          <span className="text-xs font-bold text-amber-700 bg-amber-100 px-2 py-0.5 rounded font-mono">{displayId}</span>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => handleCopy(displayId, "ref")}
+            className={`text-xs px-2 py-0.5 rounded-md border transition font-medium ${
+              copied === "ref"
+                ? "bg-green-50 text-green-600 border-green-200"
+                : "bg-white text-gray-500 border-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-100"
+            }`}
+          >
+            {copied === "ref" ? "✓" : "📋"}
+          </button>
+          <span className="text-gray-300">|</span>
+        </>
+      )}
       <code className="text-xs text-gray-400 font-mono flex-1 truncate select-all">{id}</code>
       <button
-        onClick={handleCopy}
+        onClick={() => handleCopy(id, "uuid")}
         className={`text-xs px-2.5 py-1 rounded-md border transition font-medium ${
-          copied
+          copied === "uuid"
             ? "bg-green-50 text-green-600 border-green-200"
             : "bg-white text-gray-500 border-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-100 hover:text-gray-700"
         }`}
-        title="Copy task ID"
+        title="Copy UUID"
       >
-        {copied ? "✓ Copied" : "📋 Copy"}
+        {copied === "uuid" ? "✓ Copied" : "📋 Copy UUID"}
       </button>
     </div>
   );
@@ -189,7 +205,10 @@ export function TaskDetailPanel({ task, onClose, onStatusChange, hasToken }: Tas
                   {task.source}
                 </span>
               </div>
-              <h2 className="text-lg font-bold text-gray-900 leading-snug">{task.title}</h2>
+              <h2 className="text-lg font-bold text-gray-900 leading-snug">
+                {task.taskNumber && <span className="text-amber-600 mr-2">HQ-{task.taskNumber}</span>}
+                {task.title}
+              </h2>
             </div>
             <button
               onClick={onClose}
@@ -308,7 +327,7 @@ export function TaskDetailPanel({ task, onClose, onStatusChange, hasToken }: Tas
         )}
 
         {/* Task ID - click to copy */}
-        <CopyableId id={task.id} />
+        <CopyableId id={task.id} taskNumber={task.taskNumber} />
       </div>
     </>
   );
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
index c28d874..ed18859 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export interface ProgressNote {
 
 export interface Task {
   id: string;
+  taskNumber: number;
   title: string;
   description: string | null;
   source: TaskSource;