A method of wireless communication, by a first sidelink user equipment (UE), includes periodically receiving a set of sidelink beam failure detection reference signals (RSs) from a second sidelink UE. The method includes incrementing a beam failure detection (BFD) counter in response to one or more reference signals of the set of sidelink beam failure detection RSs having a received signal strength below a threshold. The first sidelink UE starts a beam failure detection timer in response to the reference signal(s) of the set of sidelink beam failure detection reference signals having the received signal strength below the threshold. Another method by a sidelink UE may periodically transmit a set of sidelink BFD RSs to another sidelink UE. The set of sidelink BFD RSs comprise one or more sidelink receive RSs. The sidelink UE configures the other sidelink UE with the sidelink receive BFD RSs.