diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
index cb3fafe15a..0f975b23a2 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
@@ -549,10 +549,10 @@ APIError APINoiseFrameHelper::write_frame_(const uint8_t *data, uint16_t len) {
  * @return 0 on success, -1 on error (check errno)
  */
 APIError APINoiseFrameHelper::init_handshake_() {
-  uint8_t spare[noise::EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE];
-  const uint8_t *ephemeral = noise::take_spare_ephemeral(spare) ? spare : nullptr;
+  noise::ephemeral_keypair_t spare;
+  const uint8_t *ephemeral = noise::take_spare_ephemeral(spare) ? spare.data() : nullptr;
   int err = this->handshake_.init(this->ctx_.get_psk(), prologue_.data(), prologue_.size(), ephemeral);
-  sodium_memzero(spare, sizeof(spare));
+  sodium_memzero(spare.data(), spare.size());
   APIError aerr = handle_noise_error_(err, LOG_STR("noise_handshake_init"), APIError::HANDSHAKESTATE_SETUP_FAILED);
   if (aerr != APIError::OK)
     return aerr;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index 1f6aa9d763..25667513c8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -193,10 +193,13 @@ void APIServer::loop() {
 
 #ifdef USE_API_NOISE
 // Refill the spare ephemeral key while nobody is waiting for it: not before
-// the network is up, and not while a client is still in its handshake, since
-// the key generation blocks the loop for its duration. On ESP8266 that is
-// about 60 ms, over the 50 ms blocking warning; the same generation used to
-// run inside the handshake, where it tripped the warning for longer.
+// the network is up, and not while an api client is still in its handshake
+// (an OTA handshake is not visible here; it took the previous spare and
+// pays the refill instead, no worse than generating its own key). The
+// generation blocks the loop for about 60 ms on ESP8266, over the 50 ms
+// blocking warning, so the api component's warning threshold ratchets up
+// on the first refill; the same generation used to run inside the
+// handshake, where it tripped the warning for longer.
 void APIServer::prepare_spare_ephemeral_() {
   if (noise::has_spare_ephemeral() || !network::is_connected()) {
     return;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esphome/ota/ota_esphome_noise.cpp b/esphome/components/esphome/ota/ota_esphome_noise.cpp
index f937ea8299..7115c5779d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esphome/ota/ota_esphome_noise.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esphome/ota/ota_esphome_noise.cpp
@@ -75,14 +75,14 @@ bool ESPHomeOTAComponent::noise_start_session_(uint8_t server_feature_flags) {
   // The api server keeps the spare; without an encrypted api there is none
   const uint8_t *ephemeral = nullptr;
 #ifdef USE_API_NOISE
-  uint8_t spare[noise::EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE];
+  noise::ephemeral_keypair_t spare;
   if (noise::take_spare_ephemeral(spare)) {
-    ephemeral = spare;
+    ephemeral = spare.data();
   }
 #endif
   int err = this->noise_->handshake.init(this->noise_ctx_.get_psk(), prologue, sizeof(prologue), ephemeral);
 #ifdef USE_API_NOISE
-  sodium_memzero(spare, sizeof(spare));
+  sodium_memzero(spare.data(), spare.size());
 #endif
   if (err != 0) {
     ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Handshake init: %s", LOG_STR_ARG(noise::noise_err_to_logstr(err)));
diff --git a/esphome/components/noise/noise.cpp b/esphome/components/noise/noise.cpp
index a38b6cf368..4831616b13 100644
--- a/esphome/components/noise/noise.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/noise/noise.cpp
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ void prepare_spare_ephemeral() {
   spare_ephemeral_ready = true;
 }
 
-bool take_spare_ephemeral(uint8_t *out) {
+bool take_spare_ephemeral(ephemeral_keypair_t &out) {
   if (!spare_ephemeral_ready) {
     return false;
   }
-  std::memcpy(out, spare_ephemeral, EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE);
+  std::memcpy(out.data(), spare_ephemeral, EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE);
   sodium_memzero(spare_ephemeral, EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE);
   spare_ephemeral_ready = false;
   return true;
diff --git a/esphome/components/noise/noise.h b/esphome/components/noise/noise.h
index 18a0da8d8f..9d6ff259aa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/noise/noise.h
+++ b/esphome/components/noise/noise.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const LogString *noise_err_to_logstr(int err);
 static constexpr size_t EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE = 32;
 static constexpr size_t EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE = 32;
 static constexpr size_t EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE = EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE + EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE;
+using ephemeral_keypair_t = std::array<uint8_t, EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE>;
 
 #ifdef USE_API_NOISE
 // A responder ephemeral key pair generated ahead of time. The base point
@@ -53,9 +54,9 @@ static constexpr size_t EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE = EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE + EP
 bool has_spare_ephemeral();
 /// Generate a key pair into the slot; blocks for the base point multiply.
 void prepare_spare_ephemeral();
-/// Move the slot's key pair into out (EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE bytes) and empty
-/// the slot. Returns false, leaving out untouched, when the slot is empty.
-bool take_spare_ephemeral(uint8_t *out);
+/// Move the slot's key pair into out and empty the slot. Returns false,
+/// leaving out untouched, when the slot is empty.
+bool take_spare_ephemeral(ephemeral_keypair_t &out);
 #endif
 
 // Shared wire format for the noise transports (api and ota): every frame is
diff --git a/tests/components/noise/test_noise_handshake.cpp b/tests/components/noise/test_noise_handshake.cpp
index 822a1eabaa..e2bf7eb89f 100644
--- a/tests/components/noise/test_noise_handshake.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/noise/test_noise_handshake.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ TEST(NoiseResponderHandshakeTest, FullHandshakeAndTransportRoundTrip) {
 }
 
 TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, EmptySlotHandsOutNothing) {
-  uint8_t out[EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE];
+  ephemeral_keypair_t out;
   // Drain whatever an earlier test left behind, then the slot must stay empty
   take_spare_ephemeral(out);
   EXPECT_FALSE(has_spare_ephemeral());
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, EmptySlotHandsOutNothing) {
 }
 
 TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, KeyPairIsHandedOutExactlyOnce) {
-  uint8_t out[EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE];
+  ephemeral_keypair_t out;
   take_spare_ephemeral(out);
   prepare_spare_ephemeral();
   ASSERT_TRUE(has_spare_ephemeral());
@@ -170,19 +170,19 @@ TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, KeyPairIsHandedOutExactlyOnce) {
 
   // The pair is consistent: the public half is the base point multiple of the private half
   uint8_t check[EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE];
-  ASSERT_EQ(crypto_scalarmult_curve25519_base(check, out), 0);
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::memcmp(check, out + EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE, EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE), 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(crypto_scalarmult_curve25519_base(check, out.data()), 0);
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::memcmp(check, out.data() + EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE, EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE), 0);
 }
 
 TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, SuppliedKeyPairCompletesHandshakeAndIsTheKeyOnTheWire) {
-  uint8_t spare[EPHEMERAL_KEYPAIR_SIZE];
+  ephemeral_keypair_t spare;
   take_spare_ephemeral(spare);
   prepare_spare_ephemeral();
   ASSERT_TRUE(take_spare_ephemeral(spare));
 
   const psk_t psk = make_psk(7);
   NoiseResponderHandshake responder;
-  ASSERT_EQ(responder.init(psk, PROLOGUE, sizeof(PROLOGUE), spare), 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(responder.init(psk, PROLOGUE, sizeof(PROLOGUE), spare.data()), 0);
 
   Initiator initiator(psk, PROLOGUE, sizeof(PROLOGUE));
   uint8_t msg[MAX_HANDSHAKE_SIZE];
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ TEST(SpareEphemeralTest, SuppliedKeyPairCompletesHandshakeAndIsTheKeyOnTheWire)
   ASSERT_EQ(responder.write_message(msg, sizeof(msg), reply_len), 0);
   // The responder's message starts with its ephemeral public key
   ASSERT_GE(reply_len, static_cast<size_t>(EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE));
-  EXPECT_EQ(std::memcmp(msg, spare + EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE, EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE), 0);
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::memcmp(msg, spare.data() + EPHEMERAL_PRIVATE_KEY_SIZE, EPHEMERAL_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE), 0);
 
   ASSERT_EQ(initiator.read_message(msg, reply_len), 0);
   initiator.split();