diff --git a/esphome/components/modbus/modbus.h b/esphome/components/modbus/modbus.h
index a607e75523..2e2c027dd0 100644
--- a/esphome/components/modbus/modbus.h
+++ b/esphome/components/modbus/modbus.h
@@ -252,10 +252,27 @@ class ModbusClientDevice {
   uint8_t address_{0};
 };
 
-// This is for compatibility with external components using the former class name
-// Remove before 2026.12.0
-using ModbusDevice ESPDEPRECATED("Use ModbusClientDevice instead. Removed in 2026.12.0",
-                                 "2026.6.0") = ModbusClientDevice;
+// Compatibility shim for external components written against the pre-2026.8 API, which subclassed
+// ModbusDevice and overrode on_modbus_data()/on_modbus_error(). The name is free (nothing in-tree
+// uses it), so instead of a plain alias it adapts the new span-based hooks back to the old
+// signatures: on_modbus_data() receives the response payload as an owning vector (the heap copy
+// exists only on this deprecated path) and on_modbus_error() the function code and exception code.
+// Remove before 2027.2.0 (window restarted when the plain alias became a behavior shim in 2026.8.0)
+class ESPDEPRECATED("Subclass ModbusClientDevice and override on_response()/on_error() instead. Removed in 2027.2.0",
+                    "2026.8.0") ModbusDevice : public ModbusClientDevice {
+ public:
+  using ModbusClientDevice::ModbusClientDevice;
+  virtual void on_modbus_data(const std::vector<uint8_t> &data) {}
+  virtual void on_modbus_error(uint8_t function_code, uint8_t exception_code) {}
+
+  void on_response(std::span<const uint8_t> request_pdu, std::span<const uint8_t> response_pdu) override {
+    auto payload = helpers::server_pdu_payload(response_pdu);
+    this->on_modbus_data(std::vector<uint8_t>(payload.begin(), payload.end()));
+  }
+  void on_error(std::span<const uint8_t> request_pdu, ExceptionCode exception_code) override {
+    this->on_modbus_error(request_pdu.empty() ? 0 : request_pdu[0], static_cast<uint8_t>(exception_code));
+  }
+};
 
 // Register values exchanged with server handlers, in host byte order. Sized at the larger of the two protocol
 // maxima (read = 125 / 0x7D, write = 123 / 0x7B); the per-direction count limit is enforced by the hub, not by
diff --git a/tests/components/modbus/modbus_client_hub_test.cpp b/tests/components/modbus/modbus_client_hub_test.cpp
index f372af4ab5..7bdc4ac35b 100644
--- a/tests/components/modbus/modbus_client_hub_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/modbus/modbus_client_hub_test.cpp
@@ -220,4 +220,56 @@ TEST(ModbusClientHub, OversizedPduIsRefusedWithNotSent) {
   EXPECT_TRUE(hub.tx_buffer_empty());
 }
 
+// --- ModbusDevice compatibility shim ------------------------------------------------------------
+// External components written against the pre-2026.8 API subclass ModbusDevice and override the
+// old callbacks; the shim adapts the span-based hooks back to those signatures.
+namespace {
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#pragma GCC diagnostic ignored "-Wdeprecated-declarations"
+class LegacyApiDevice : public ModbusDevice {
+ public:
+  LegacyApiDevice(ModbusClientHub *hub, uint8_t address) : ModbusDevice(hub, address) {}
+  void on_modbus_data(const std::vector<uint8_t> &data) override { this->last_data_ = data; }
+  void on_modbus_error(uint8_t function_code, uint8_t exception_code) override {
+    this->last_error_fc_ = function_code;
+    this->last_error_code_ = exception_code;
+  }
+  std::vector<uint8_t> last_data_;
+  int last_error_fc_{-1};
+  int last_error_code_{-1};
+};
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+}  // namespace
+
+TEST(ModbusDeviceShim, LegacyCallbacksReceiveTheOldShapes) {
+  NoResponseProbeHub hub;
+  LegacyApiDevice device(&hub, 0x02);
+
+  // Read response: on_modbus_data() historically received the payload after the function code and
+  // the byte-count byte, as an owning vector.
+  const uint8_t read_req[] = {0x03, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x02};
+  device.send_pdu(read_req);
+  hub.force_send_front();
+  const uint8_t response[] = {0x03, 0x04, 0x00, 0x2A, 0x01, 0x00};
+  hub.receive_frame_for_test(0x02, response);
+  const std::vector<uint8_t> expected{0x00, 0x2A, 0x01, 0x00};
+  EXPECT_EQ(device.last_data_, expected);
+
+  // Write echo: no byte-count byte, so the payload is everything after the function code.
+  const uint8_t write_req[] = {0x06, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x2A};
+  device.send_pdu(write_req);
+  hub.force_send_front();
+  hub.receive_frame_for_test(0x02, write_req);  // single-write responses echo the request
+  const std::vector<uint8_t> expected_echo{0x00, 0x10, 0x00, 0x2A};
+  EXPECT_EQ(device.last_data_, expected_echo);
+
+  // Exception response: on_modbus_error() received the masked function code and the exception code.
+  device.send_pdu(read_req);
+  hub.force_send_front();
+  const uint8_t error[] = {0x83, 0x02};
+  hub.receive_frame_for_test(0x02, error);
+  EXPECT_EQ(device.last_error_fc_, 0x03);
+  EXPECT_EQ(device.last_error_code_, 0x02);
+}
+
 }  // namespace esphome::modbus::testing