diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 7cbb72a..bd514fe 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
 
     # Gitea
     gitea_url: str = "http://localhost:3000"
+    gitea_public_url: str = ""  # external URL for clickable links in comments; falls back to gitea_url
     gitea_token: str = ""
     gitea_webhook_secret: str = ""
     gitea_owner: str = "admin"
diff --git a/src/stage_engine.py b/src/stage_engine.py
index 3068039..43d762f 100644
--- a/src/stage_engine.py
+++ b/src/stage_engine.py
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ def _build_analyst_ready_comment(repo: str, work_item_id: str, branch: str) -> s
         wt_dir = None
 
     owner = getattr(settings, "gitea_owner", "admin")
-    base = settings.gitea_url.rstrip("/")
+    base = (getattr(settings, "gitea_public_url", "") or settings.gitea_url).rstrip("/")
     links = []
     for label, fname in candidates:
         if wt_dir and not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(wt_dir, fname)):
diff --git a/tests/test_analyst_comment.py b/tests/test_analyst_comment.py
index a4e5414..1002001 100644
--- a/tests/test_analyst_comment.py
+++ b/tests/test_analyst_comment.py
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ def test_analyst_comment_asks_approved_with_links(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     # 04b-ui-test-cases.md intentionally absent -> must NOT be linked
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(SE, "get_worktree_path", lambda repo, branch: str(wt))
-    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_url", "https://git.mva154.duckdns.org")
+    # public URL set -> links must be built from it (not gitea_url)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_url", "http://localhost:3000")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_public_url", "https://git.mva154.duckdns.org")
     monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_owner", "admin")
 
     html = SE._build_analyst_ready_comment(
@@ -45,3 +47,28 @@ def test_analyst_comment_asks_approved_with_links(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     assert base + "04-test-plan.yaml" in html
     # the missing file is NOT invented
     assert "04b-ui-test-cases.md" not in html
+    # internal git url must NOT appear in clickable links
+    assert "localhost:3000" not in html
+
+
+def test_analyst_comment_falls_back_to_gitea_url(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """When gitea_public_url is empty, links fall back to gitea_url."""
+    from src import stage_engine as SE
+
+    wt = tmp_path / "wt"
+    docs = wt / "docs" / "work-items" / "ET-011"
+    docs.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (docs / "01-brd.md").write_text("x")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE, "get_worktree_path", lambda repo, branch: str(wt))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_url", "http://localhost:3000")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_public_url", "")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(SE.settings, "gitea_owner", "admin")
+
+    html = SE._build_analyst_ready_comment(
+        "enduro-trails", "ET-011", "feature/ET-011-gpx-upload-feature"
+    )
+
+    base = ("http://localhost:3000/admin/enduro-trails/src/branch/"
+            "feature/ET-011-gpx-upload-feature/docs/work-items/ET-011/")
+    assert base + "01-brd.md" in html