diff --git a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.cpp b/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 49f72d095b..0000000000
--- a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#include "esphome/core/defines.h"
-
-#ifdef USE_ESP32
-#include "automation.h"
-#elif defined(USE_BLE_GATT_CLIENT)
-#include "automation_gatt.h"
-#endif
-
-#if defined(USE_ESP32) || defined(USE_BLE_GATT_CLIENT)
-namespace esphome::ble_client {
-
-const char *const Automation::TAG = "ble_client.automation";
-
-}  // namespace esphome::ble_client
-#endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.h b/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.h
index f4585d01e2..74ce9f82b2 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ble_client/automation.h
@@ -7,13 +7,6 @@
 
 namespace esphome::ble_client {
 
-// placeholder class for static TAG .
-class Automation {
- public:
-  // could be made inline with C++17
-  static const char *const TAG;
-};
-
 // implement on_connect automation.
 class BLEClientConnectTrigger final : public Trigger<>, public BLEClientNode {
  public:
diff --git a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation_gatt.h b/esphome/components/ble_client/automation_gatt.h
index 9ea2518ccf..be5a861684 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ble_client/automation_gatt.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ble_client/automation_gatt.h
@@ -18,12 +18,6 @@
 
 namespace esphome::ble_client {
 
-// placeholder class for static TAG (shared with automation.cpp).
-class Automation {
- public:
-  static const char *const TAG;
-};
-
 class BLEClientConnectTrigger final : public Trigger<> {
  public:
   explicit BLEClientConnectTrigger(BLEClient *parent) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/ble_client/connect_backoff.h b/esphome/components/ble_client/connect_backoff.h
index f99c0fdd94..ec2bf67077 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ble_client/connect_backoff.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ble_client/connect_backoff.h
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ namespace esphome::ble_client {
 class ConnectBackoff {
  public:
   bool holding_off() const {
-    return this->failures_ != 0 && static_cast<uint16_t>(now_() - this->start_) < this->failures_ * STEP_TICKS;
+    return this->failures_ != 0 && static_cast<uint16_t>(now() - this->start_) < this->failures_ * STEP_TICKS;
   }
   void register_failure(const char *address_str) {
     if (this->failures_ < MAX_STEPS)
       this->failures_++;
-    this->start_ = now_();
+    this->start_ = now();
     esph_log_w("ble_client", "[%s] Holding off reconnect for %u s", address_str, this->failures_ * 10u);
   }
   void reset() { this->failures_ = 0; }
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class ConnectBackoff {
   // a minute at worst.
   static constexpr uint16_t STEP_TICKS = 40;  // x 256 ms
   static constexpr uint8_t MAX_STEPS = 6;
-  static uint16_t now_() { return static_cast<uint16_t>(millis() >> 8); }
+  static uint16_t now() { return static_cast<uint16_t>(millis() >> 8); }
 
   uint16_t start_{0};
   uint8_t failures_{0};