Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may transmit a first set of reference signals via a primary sidelink carrier of a sidelink carrier aggregation configuration and a second set of reference signals via one or more secondary sidelink carriers of the sidelink carrier aggregation configuration. The UE may receive, based on the reference signals, a measurement message indicating measurements for a set of beams corresponding to a secondary sidelink carrier of the sidelink carrier aggregation configuration based on a beam failure instance for the primary sidelink carrier. The UE may transmit, via Layer 1 signaling or Layer 2 signaling, a control message indicating to switch the primary sidelink carrier to the set of beams based on the measurements for the set of beams and the beam failure instance for the primary sidelink carrier.