diff --git a/example/server/orchestrator/BUILD.bazel b/example/server/orchestrator/BUILD.bazel
index 9db3e45e..78cab3f7 100644
--- a/example/server/orchestrator/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/example/server/orchestrator/BUILD.bazel
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ go_library(
     visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
     deps = [
         "//core/consumer",
+        "//extension/counter",
+        "//extension/counter/mysql",
         "//extension/mergechecker",
         "//extension/mergechecker/github",
         "//extension/queue",
diff --git a/example/server/orchestrator/main.go b/example/server/orchestrator/main.go
index 2e2f6afd..15f2950e 100644
--- a/example/server/orchestrator/main.go
+++ b/example/server/orchestrator/main.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
 	"github.com/uber-go/tally/v4"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/core/consumer"
+	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/counter"
+	mysqlcounter "github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/counter/mysql"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/mergechecker"
 	githubchecker "github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/mergechecker/github"
 	extqueue "github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/queue"
@@ -95,6 +97,20 @@ func run() error {
 		metricsWgDone.Wait()
 	}()
 
+	// Open app database connection for counter
+	// Docker Compose healthchecks ensure MySQL is ready before service starts
+	appDSN := os.Getenv("MYSQL_DSN")
+	if appDSN == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("MYSQL_DSN environment variable is required")
+	}
+	appDB, err := sql.Open("mysql", appDSN)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to open app database: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer appDB.Close()
+
+	cnt := mysqlcounter.NewCounter(appDB)
+
 	// Open queue database connection
 	// Docker Compose healthchecks ensure MySQL is ready before service starts
 	queueDSN := os.Getenv("QUEUE_MYSQL_DSN")
@@ -135,7 +151,7 @@ func run() error {
 	mc := newMergeChecker(logger, scope)
 
 	// Register controllers
-	if err := registerControllers(c, logger.Sugar(), scope, registry, mc); err != nil {
+	if err := registerControllers(c, logger.Sugar(), scope, registry, mc, cnt); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -259,7 +275,8 @@ func newTopicRegistry(q extqueue.Queue, subscriberName string) consumer.TopicReg
 //
 //	→ merge → merge-signal
 //	finalize (terminal)
-func registerControllers(c consumer.Consumer, logger *zap.SugaredLogger, scope tally.Scope, registry consumer.TopicRegistry, mc mergechecker.MergeChecker) error {
+
+func registerControllers(c consumer.Consumer, logger *zap.SugaredLogger, scope tally.Scope, registry consumer.TopicRegistry, mc mergechecker.MergeChecker, cnt counter.Counter) error {
 	requestController := request.NewController(
 		logger,
 		scope,
@@ -276,6 +293,7 @@ func registerControllers(c consumer.Consumer, logger *zap.SugaredLogger, scope t
 		logger,
 		scope,
 		registry,
+		cnt,
 		consumer.TopicToBatch,
 		"orchestrator-batch",
 	)
diff --git a/orchestrator/controller/batch/BUILD.bazel b/orchestrator/controller/batch/BUILD.bazel
index dba155a0..b66963e2 100644
--- a/orchestrator/controller/batch/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/orchestrator/controller/batch/BUILD.bazel
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ go_library(
         "//core/consumer",
         "//entity",
         "//entity/queue",
+        "//extension/counter",
         "@com_github_uber_go_tally_v4//:tally",
         "@org_uber_go_zap//:zap",
     ],
diff --git a/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch.go b/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch.go
index cc3bc7eb..8705fa48 100644
--- a/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch.go
+++ b/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/core/consumer"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/entity"
 	entityqueue "github.com/uber/submitqueue/entity/queue"
+	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/extension/counter"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ type Controller struct {
 	logger        *zap.SugaredLogger
 	metricsScope  tally.Scope
 	registry      consumer.TopicRegistry
+	counter       counter.Counter
 	topic         consumer.Topic
 	consumerGroup string
 }
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@ func NewController(
 	logger *zap.SugaredLogger,
 	scope tally.Scope,
 	registry consumer.TopicRegistry,
+	counter counter.Counter,
 	topic consumer.Topic,
 	consumerGroup string,
 ) *Controller {
@@ -37,6 +40,7 @@ func NewController(
 		logger:        logger.Named("batch_controller"),
 		metricsScope:  scope.SubScope("batch_controller"),
 		registry:      registry,
+		counter:       counter,
 		topic:         topic,
 		consumerGroup: consumerGroup,
 	}
@@ -73,9 +77,37 @@ func (c *Controller) Process(ctx context.Context, delivery consumer.Delivery) er
 		"partition_key", msg.PartitionKey,
 	)
 
-	// TODO: Add batching logic
-	// - Group requests into batches
-	// - Create batch entity with dependencies
+	// Generate a globally unique batch ID.
+	seq, err := c.counter.Next(ctx, "batch/"+request.Queue)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.logger.Errorw("failed to generate batch ID",
+			"request_id", request.ID,
+			"queue", request.Queue,
+			"error", err,
+		)
+		c.metricsScope.Counter("counter_errors").Inc(1)
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate batch ID for queue=%s: %w", request.Queue, err)
+	}
+
+	batch := entity.Batch{
+		ID:       fmt.Sprintf("%s/batch/%d", request.Queue, seq),
+		Queue:    request.Queue,
+		Contains: []string{request.ID},
+		// TODO Dependencies
+		State:    entity.BatchStateCreated,
+		Version:  1,
+	}
+
+	c.logger.Infow("batch created",
+		"batch_id", batch.ID,
+		"request_id", request.ID,
+		"queue", request.Queue,
+	)
+
+	// TODO:
+	// - Add batch to DB
+	// - Create batch dependent entity
+	// - Add to batch dependent DB
 
 	// Publish to speculate topic
 	if err := c.publish(ctx, consumer.TopicBatched, request); err != nil {
diff --git a/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch_test.go b/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch_test.go
index 3b35167f..17d977e3 100644
--- a/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch_test.go
+++ b/orchestrator/controller/batch/batch_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package batch
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -16,8 +17,27 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 )
 
+// mockCounter implements counter.Counter for testing.
+type mockCounter struct {
+	nextFunc func(ctx context.Context, domain string) (int64, error)
+}
+
+func (m *mockCounter) Next(ctx context.Context, domain string) (int64, error) {
+	return m.nextFunc(ctx, domain)
+}
+
+// newSequentialCounter returns a mock counter that returns incrementing values starting at 1.
+func newSequentialCounter() *mockCounter {
+	var seq int64
+	return &mockCounter{
+		nextFunc: func(ctx context.Context, domain string) (int64, error) {
+			return atomic.AddInt64(&seq, 1), nil
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 // newTestController creates a controller with test dependencies.
-func newTestController(t *testing.T, ctrl *gomock.Controller, publishErr error) *Controller {
+func newTestController(t *testing.T, ctrl *gomock.Controller, cnt *mockCounter, publishErr error) *Controller {
 	logger := zaptest.NewLogger(t).Sugar()
 	scope := tally.NoopScope
 
@@ -36,12 +56,12 @@ func newTestController(t *testing.T, ctrl *gomock.Controller, publishErr error)
 		nil,
 	)
 
-	return NewController(logger, scope, registry, consumer.TopicToBatch, "orchestrator-batch")
+	return NewController(logger, scope, registry, cnt, consumer.TopicToBatch, "orchestrator-batch")
 }
 
 func TestNewController(t *testing.T) {
 	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
-	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, nil)
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, newSequentialCounter(), nil)
 
 	require.NotNil(t, controller)
 	assert.Equal(t, consumer.TopicToBatch, controller.Topic())
@@ -52,7 +72,7 @@ func TestNewController(t *testing.T) {
 func TestController_Process_Success(t *testing.T) {
 	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 
-	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, nil)
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, newSequentialCounter(), nil)
 
 	request := entity.Request{
 		ID:           "test-queue/123",
@@ -78,7 +98,7 @@ func TestController_Process_Success(t *testing.T) {
 func TestController_Process_InvalidJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 
-	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, nil)
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, newSequentialCounter(), nil)
 
 	invalidPayload := []byte(`{"invalid": json"}`)
 	msg := queue.NewMessage("invalid-msg", invalidPayload, "partition1", nil)
@@ -95,7 +115,7 @@ func TestController_Process_InvalidJSON(t *testing.T) {
 func TestController_Process_PublishFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
 
-	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, fmt.Errorf("publish failed"))
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, newSequentialCounter(), fmt.Errorf("publish failed"))
 
 	request := entity.Request{
 		ID:           "test-queue/123",
@@ -118,9 +138,40 @@ func TestController_Process_PublishFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
+func TestController_Process_CounterFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+
+	cnt := &mockCounter{
+		nextFunc: func(ctx context.Context, domain string) (int64, error) {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("counter unavailable")
+		},
+	}
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, cnt, nil)
+
+	request := entity.Request{
+		ID:           "test-queue/123",
+		Queue:        "test-queue",
+		Change:       entity.Change{URIs: []string{"github://uber/service/pull/456/abc123def"}},
+		LandStrategy: entity.RequestLandStrategyRebase,
+		State:        entity.RequestStateNew,
+		Version:      1,
+	}
+
+	payload, err := request.ToBytes()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	msg := queue.NewMessage(request.ID, payload, request.Queue, nil)
+	delivery := queuemock.NewMockDelivery(ctrl)
+	delivery.EXPECT().Message().Return(msg).AnyTimes()
+	delivery.EXPECT().Attempt().Return(1).AnyTimes()
+
+	err = controller.Process(context.Background(), delivery)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestController_InterfaceImplementation(t *testing.T) {
 	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
-	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, nil)
+	controller := newTestController(t, ctrl, newSequentialCounter(), nil)
 
 	var _ consumer.Controller = controller
 }