diff --git a/tests/authority-vector-primary.mjs b/tests/authority-vector-primary.mjs
index 68a14ed..b6b4f67 100644
--- a/tests/authority-vector-primary.mjs
+++ b/tests/authority-vector-primary.mjs
@@ -169,6 +169,10 @@ function createMockTriviumClient({
           path: "/bme/vector-apply",
         });
       }
+      const itemWithTopLevelId = payload.items?.find((item) => item?.id !== undefined);
+      if (itemWithTopLevelId) {
+        throw new Error("bmeVectorApply items must not send top-level Trivium id");
+      }
       return {
         ok: true,
         database: payload.database || "st_bme_vectors",
@@ -266,6 +270,11 @@ assert.equal(isAuthorityVectorConfig(config), true);
   assert.equal(applyCall.items.every((item) => item.payload?.vectorSpaceId === applyCall.vectorSpaceId), true);
   assert.equal(applyCall.items.every((item) => item.payload?.observedDim === 2), true);
   assert.equal(applyCall.items.every((item) => Array.isArray(item.vector) && item.vector.length > 0), true);
+  assert.equal(applyCall.items[0].id, undefined);
+  assert.equal(applyCall.items[0].externalId, "node-a");
+  assert.equal(applyCall.items[0].nodeId, "node-a");
+  assert.equal(applyCall.items[0].payload.nodeId, "node-a");
+  assert.equal(applyCall.items[0].payload.externalId, "node-a");
   assert.equal(result.timings.authorityDiagnostics.upsert.operation, "bmeVectorApply");
 }
 
diff --git a/vector/authority-vector-primary-adapter.js b/vector/authority-vector-primary-adapter.js
index 3ff18b9..7f0ec6d 100644
--- a/vector/authority-vector-primary-adapter.js
+++ b/vector/authority-vector-primary-adapter.js
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ function buildAuthorityNodePayload(node = {}, entry = {}, { chatId = "", modelSc
   return {
     chatId,
     nodeId: normalizeRecordId(node?.id || entry?.nodeId),
+    externalId: normalizeRecordId(node?.id || entry?.nodeId),
     type: String(node?.type || ""),
     archived: Boolean(node?.archived),
     seqStart: Number(seqRange[0] ?? node?.seq ?? 0) || 0,
@@ -295,7 +296,6 @@ function buildAuthorityVectorItems(graph, entries = [], options = {}) {
       if (!node) return null;
       const payload = buildAuthorityNodePayload(node, entry, options);
       return {
-        id: nodeId,
         externalId: nodeId,
         nodeId,
         text: String(entry?.text || ""),