diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 15f9a49..052c3b5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ SDK: **[laravel/ai](https://laravel.com/docs/ai-sdk)** (`BaseAgent` + tools). We
 ```
 GET  /health
 POST /api/ask                  Bearer KIT_PEER_TOKEN  {"message":"..."}
+POST /api/assign               Bearer KIT_PEER_TOKEN  {"issue":"...","chair":"kit","brief":"..."}
 POST /api/webhooks/mattermost  token=KIT_WEBHOOK_TOKEN  → queues ReplyOnMattermost
 php artisan queue:work --queue=kit
 php artisan kit:ask "what's in the catalog?"
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/AssignController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/AssignController.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8201386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/AssignController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Http\Controllers;
+
+use App\Factory\Board;
+use App\Mattermost\Client;
+use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+
+class AssignController extends Controller
+{
+    public function __invoke(Request $request, Board $board, Client $mattermost): JsonResponse
+    {
+        $expected = (string) config('kit.peer_token');
+        $got = (string) $request->bearerToken();
+        if ($expected === '' || ! hash_equals($expected, $got)) {
+            return response()->json(['error' => 'unauthorized'], 401);
+        }
+
+        $issue = trim((string) $request->input('issue', ''));
+        if ($issue === '') {
+            return response()->json(['error' => 'issue required'], 422);
+        }
+
+        $chair = strtolower(trim((string) $request->input('chair', 'kit')));
+        if (! in_array($chair, ['kit', 'feel', 'bench'], true)) {
+            $chair = 'kit';
+        }
+
+        $number = $this->issueNumber($issue);
+        $id = $this->boardId($issue, $number, (string) $request->input('brief', ''));
+        $brief = trim((string) $request->input('brief', ''));
+
+        $item = $board->upsert($id, [
+            'state' => 'queued',
+            'lifecycle' => 'queued',
+            'owner' => $chair,
+            'issue' => $number,
+            'hops' => 0,
+            'note' => $brief !== '' ? $brief : 'assigned '.$issue,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->hallwayAck($mattermost, $id, $issue, $chair);
+
+        return response()->json([
+            'ok' => true,
+            'board_id' => $id,
+            'item' => $item,
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    private function issueNumber(string $issue): int
+    {
+        if (preg_match('/#(\d+)/', $issue, $m) === 1) {
+            return (int) $m[1];
+        }
+        if (preg_match('/\/issues\/(\d+)/', $issue, $m) === 1) {
+            return (int) $m[1];
+        }
+
+        return (int) $issue;
+    }
+
+    private function boardId(string $issue, int $number, string $brief): string
+    {
+        $hay = strtolower($issue.' '.$brief);
+        foreach (['rider', 'hero-ebike', 'ranch-7620'] as $catalog) {
+            if (str_contains($hay, $catalog)) {
+                return $catalog;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $number > 0 ? 'issue-'.$number : 'assign';
+    }
+
+    private function hallwayAck(Client $mattermost, string $id, string $issue, string $chair): void
+    {
+        $hallway = (string) config('kit.mattermost.hallway_id');
+        $dm = (string) config('kit.mattermost.dm_id');
+        if ($hallway === '' || $hallway === $dm) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $short = $number = $this->issueNumber($issue);
+        $ref = $short > 0 ? '#'.$short : $issue;
+        $mattermost->post($hallway, 'queued '.$id.' ← '.$ref.' ('.$chair.')');
+    }
+}
diff --git a/routes/api.php b/routes/api.php
index 924d473..90dcd40 100644
--- a/routes/api.php
+++ b/routes/api.php
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 <?php
 
 use App\Http\Controllers\AskController;
+use App\Http\Controllers\AssignController;
 use App\Http\Controllers\HealthController;
 use App\Http\Controllers\MattermostWebhookController;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
 
 Route::get('/health', HealthController::class);
 Route::post('/ask', AskController::class);
+Route::post('/assign', AssignController::class);
 Route::post('/webhooks/mattermost', MattermostWebhookController::class);
diff --git a/tests/Feature/AssignTest.php b/tests/Feature/AssignTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc1a051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/AssignTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Factory\Board;
+use App\Mattermost\Client;
+
+beforeEach(function () {
+    $path = storage_path('framework/testing/board-'.uniqid('', true).'.json');
+    config([
+        'kit.board_path' => $path,
+        'kit.peer_token' => 'test-peer',
+        'kit.mattermost.hallway_id' => 'hall-1',
+        'kit.mattermost.dm_id' => 'dm-1',
+    ]);
+    $this->boardPath = $path;
+});
+
+afterEach(function () {
+    @unlink($this->boardPath);
+});
+
+test('assign refuses a bad bearer', function () {
+    $this->postJson('/api/assign', ['issue' => 'https://github.com/the-shit/bikes-v2/issues/12'])
+        ->assertUnauthorized();
+});
+
+test('assign requires an issue', function () {
+    $this->withToken('test-peer')
+        ->postJson('/api/assign', ['brief' => 'no issue'])
+        ->assertStatus(422);
+});
+
+test('assign queues a board row and does not speak as the mouth', function () {
+    $mm = Mockery::mock(Client::class);
+    $mm->shouldReceive('post')->once()->with('hall-1', 'queued rider ← #12 (kit)');
+    $this->app->instance(Client::class, $mm);
+
+    $this->withToken('test-peer')
+        ->postJson('/api/assign', [
+            'issue' => 'https://github.com/the-shit/bikes-v2/issues/12',
+            'chair' => 'kit',
+            'brief' => 'rider stills',
+        ])
+        ->assertOk()
+        ->assertJsonPath('ok', true)
+        ->assertJsonPath('board_id', 'rider');
+
+    $row = collect(app(Board::class)->read()['items'])->firstWhere('id', 'rider');
+    expect($row['lifecycle'])->toBe('queued')
+        ->and($row['owner'])->toBe('kit')
+        ->and($row['issue'])->toBe(12);
+});
+
+test('assign skips mattermost when hallway is the Jordan DM', function () {
+    config(['kit.mattermost.hallway_id' => 'dm-1']);
+    $mm = Mockery::mock(Client::class);
+    $mm->shouldReceive('post')->never();
+    $this->app->instance(Client::class, $mm);
+
+    $this->withToken('test-peer')
+        ->postJson('/api/assign', [
+            'issue' => 'https://github.com/the-shit/kit/issues/5',
+            'chair' => 'kit',
+        ])
+        ->assertOk()
+        ->assertJsonPath('board_id', 'issue-5');
+});