@@ -256,13 +256,21 @@ is `done` or `waived`.
   @depends-on: features/auth.md#task:auth.session
 ```
 
-Forms:
-- `path/to/file.md` — depend on the entire file
-- `path/to/file.md#task:<id>` — depend on a specific task
-- `#task:<id>` — depend on a task in the same file
-
-Validate references with `lash check-links`. Auto-fix typos in references
-with `lash check-links --fix`.
+Forms (the `task:` prefix on a fragment is optional everywhere):
+- `<task-@id>` — a task by its `@id` (same file, or unique in the project)
+- `#task:<id>` / `#<id>` — a task in the same file
+- `<file-id>#task:<id>` / `<file-id>#<id>` — a task in another file, by file `@id`
+- `path/to/file.md#task:<id>` — a task in another file, by path
+- `path/to/file.md` — the entire file
+- `<file-id>` — the entire file, by file `@id`
+
+List several dependencies with commas or repeated lines:
+`@depends-on: auth.session, payment.gateway`.
+
+`lash complete` refuses while any dependency is still open (pass `--force`
+to override). Validate references with `lash check-links` — it reports the
+same broken references as `lash lint`. Auto-fix typos with
+`lash check-links --fix`.
 
 ## `@doc:` — Documentation References
 
 
@@ -420,6 +420,12 @@ pub enum Commands {
         /// and are never auto-completed.
         #[arg(long)]
         cascade: bool,
+
+        /// Complete even when a resolvable @depends-on target is still open.
+        /// By default completion is refused until dependencies are done or
+        /// waived.
+        #[arg(long)]
+        force: bool,
     },
 
     /// Mark one or more tasks as in-progress
@@ -1113,11 +1119,13 @@ mod tests {
             task_ids,
             dry_run,
             cascade,
+            force,
         } = cli.command
         {
             assert_eq!(task_ids, vec!["test#task-1"]);
             assert!(!dry_run);
             assert!(!cascade);
+            assert!(!force);
         } else {
             panic!("Expected Complete command");
         }
@@ -1160,6 +1168,16 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_cli_parse_complete_force() {
+        let cli = LashCli::try_parse_from(["lash", "complete", "--force", "test#task-1"]).unwrap();
+        if let Commands::Complete { force, .. } = cli.command {
+            assert!(force);
+        } else {
+            panic!("Expected Complete command");
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_cli_parse_complete_requires_task_id() {
         let result = LashCli::try_parse_from(["lash", "complete"]);
 
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use lash_cli::error_reporter::{ErrorDisplayMode, ErrorReporter, ErrorReporterConfig};
 use lash_cli::formatter::{OutputFormat, Verbosity};
 use lash_cli::theme::CliTheme;
+use lash_core::dependency::reference::resolve_reference;
 use lash_core::linter::rules::semantic::BrokenDocFragmentRule;
 use lash_core::linter::{LintContext, LintDiagnostic, LintRule};
 use lash_core::parser::parse_file;
 use lash_db::open_database;
+use lash_types::dependency::DependencyKind;
 use lash_types::error::LashError;
 use lash_types::{LashConfig, TaskFile};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -208,6 +210,77 @@ pub fn find_broken_links(conn: impl AsRef<std::path::Path>) -> Result<BrokenLink
     })
 }
 
+/// Walk every task file under `project_root` and report `@depends-on`
+/// references that don't resolve.
+///
+/// `lash check-links` historically only reported dependencies the *indexer*
+/// had already marked broken (a `NULL` `to_task_id` row) — but explicit
+/// `@depends-on` edges aren't stored that way, so `check-links` silently
+/// passed while `lash lint` flagged the very same references (GitHub issue
+/// #19). This reparses the tree and resolves each reference with the **same**
+/// [`resolve_reference`] used by the linter, so the two surfaces always agree.
+///
+/// Files that fail to parse are skipped (surfaced by `lash lint` instead).
+#[must_use]
+pub fn find_broken_dependencies(project_root: &Path) -> Vec<FileLinks> {
+    let Ok(markdown_files) = discover_markdown_files(&[project_root.to_path_buf()], true) else {
+        return Vec::new();
+    };
+
+    let config = LashConfig::from_root(project_root).unwrap_or_default();
+
+    let mut files: HashMap<PathBuf, TaskFile> = HashMap::new();
+    for path in &markdown_files {
+        let Ok(file) = parse_file(path, &config) else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        let relative = path
+            .strip_prefix(project_root)
+            .unwrap_or(path)
+            .to_path_buf();
+        files.insert(relative, file);
+    }
+
+    let mut by_file: Vec<FileLinks> = Vec::new();
+
+    for (rel_path, file) in &files {
+        let ctx = LintContext::new(&config, rel_path.clone(), &files);
+        let mut links: Vec<BrokenLink> = Vec::new();
+
+        for task in file.tasks.tasks() {
+            for dep in &task.metadata.depends_on {
+                if matches!(
+                    dep.kind,
+                    DependencyKind::Hierarchy | DependencyKind::Directory
+                ) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                let resolve_path = |rel: &str| ctx.resolve_path(Path::new(rel));
+                if resolve_reference(&dep.target, rel_path, &file.id, &files, resolve_path).is_err()
+                {
+                    links.push(BrokenLink {
+                        from_task_full_id: lash_types::make_full_id(&file.id, &task.id),
+                        from_file_path: rel_path.display().to_string(),
+                        raw_ref: dep.target.clone(),
+                        kind: dep.kind.as_str().to_string(),
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if !links.is_empty() {
+            by_file.push(FileLinks {
+                file_path: rel_path.display().to_string(),
+                count: links.len(),
+                links,
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    by_file.sort_by(|a, b| a.file_path.cmp(&b.file_path));
+    by_file
+}
+
 /// Walk every task file under `project_root` and report `@doc:` annotations
 /// whose `#fragment` does not resolve to a heading in the target document.
 ///
@@ -974,6 +1047,70 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    // Issue #19: check-links must flag @depends-on references that lint flags.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_broken_dependencies_flags_unresolvable_ref() {
+        use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+        let temp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let root = temp.path();
+
+        std::fs::write(root.join("lash.index.md"), "# Index\n").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            root.join("tasks.md"),
+            "# Tasks\n\n@id: repro\n\n## Tasks\n\n\
+             - [ ] Base\n  \
+             @id: base-task\n\
+             - [ ] Dependent\n  \
+             @id: dep\n  \
+             @depends-on: does-not-exist\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let by_file = find_broken_dependencies(root);
+        assert_eq!(by_file.len(), 1, "expected one file with a broken dep");
+        assert_eq!(by_file[0].count, 1);
+        assert_eq!(by_file[0].links[0].raw_ref, "does-not-exist");
+    }
+
+    // Issue #19: forms that lint accepts must NOT be reported by check-links.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_find_broken_dependencies_accepts_valid_forms() {
+        use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+        let temp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let root = temp.path();
+
+        std::fs::write(root.join("lash.index.md"), "# Index\n").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            root.join("tasks.md"),
+            "# Tasks\n\n@id: repro\n\n## Tasks\n\n\
+             - [ ] Base\n  \
+             @id: base-task\n\
+             - [ ] Other\n  \
+             @id: other-task\n\
+             - [ ] Bare id\n  \
+             @id: d1\n  \
+             @depends-on: base-task\n\
+             - [ ] Samefile form\n  \
+             @id: d2\n  \
+             @depends-on: #task:base-task\n\
+             - [ ] File id form\n  \
+             @id: d3\n  \
+             @depends-on: repro#task:base-task\n\
+             - [ ] Comma list\n  \
+             @id: d4\n  \
+             @depends-on: base-task, other-task\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let by_file = find_broken_dependencies(root);
+        assert!(
+            by_file.is_empty(),
+            "all references resolve, expected no broken deps, got {by_file:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_find_broken_doc_fragments_clean_project_returns_empty() {
         use tempfile::TempDir;
 
@@ -84,6 +84,24 @@ pub fn execute(args: &CheckLinksArgs) -> Result<i32> {
     // Find all broken links
     let mut report = core::find_broken_links(&db_path).context("Failed to find broken links")?;
 
+    // Explicit @depends-on edges aren't stored as NULL-target rows, so the DB
+    // query above never sees them. Reparse the tree and validate each
+    // reference with the same resolver `lash lint` uses, then merge the
+    // results in so the two commands agree (GitHub issue #19).
+    for file_links in core::find_broken_dependencies(&project_root) {
+        report.total_broken += file_links.count;
+        if let Some(existing) = report
+            .by_file
+            .iter_mut()
+            .find(|fl| fl.file_path == file_links.file_path)
+        {
+            existing.count += file_links.count;
+            existing.links.extend(file_links.links);
+        } else {
+            report.by_file.push(file_links);
+        }
+    }
+
     // Additionally scan for broken @doc: fragment references. These are
     // semantic warnings raised by `lash lint`, but `check-links` is the
     // natural canonical "are my references intact?" command, so it would be