diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 4846544040..40faeb5673 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -242,24 +242,11 @@ void APIConnection::loop() {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (this->flags_.sent_ping) {
-    // Disconnect if not responded within 2.5*keepalive
-    if (now - this->last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_DISCONNECT_TIMEOUT) {
-      on_fatal_error();
-      this->log_client_(ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_WARN, LOG_STR("is unresponsive; disconnecting"));
-    }
-  } else if (now - this->last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_MS && !this->flags_.remove) {
-    // Only send ping if we're not disconnecting
-    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Sending keepalive PING");
-    PingRequest req;
-    this->flags_.sent_ping = this->send_message(req, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE);
-    if (!this->flags_.sent_ping) {
-      // If we can't send the ping request directly (tx_buffer full),
-      // schedule it at the front of the batch so it will be sent with priority
-      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Buffer full, ping queued");
-      this->schedule_message_front_(nullptr, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE, PingRequest::ESTIMATED_SIZE);
-      this->flags_.sent_ping = true;  // Mark as sent to avoid scheduling multiple pings
-    }
+  // Keepalive: only call into the cold path when enough time has elapsed.
+  // When sent_ping is true, last_traffic_ hasn't been updated so this
+  // condition is already satisfied — covers both send-ping and disconnect cases.
+  if (now - this->last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_MS) {
+    this->check_keepalive_(now);
   }
 
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_STATES
@@ -275,6 +262,29 @@ void APIConnection::loop() {
 #endif
 }
 
+void APIConnection::check_keepalive_(uint32_t now) {
+  // Caller guarantees: now - last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_MS
+  if (this->flags_.sent_ping) {
+    // Disconnect if not responded within 2.5*keepalive
+    if (now - this->last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_DISCONNECT_TIMEOUT) {
+      on_fatal_error();
+      this->log_client_(ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_WARN, LOG_STR("is unresponsive; disconnecting"));
+    }
+  } else if (!this->flags_.remove) {
+    // Only send ping if we're not disconnecting
+    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Sending keepalive PING");
+    PingRequest req;
+    this->flags_.sent_ping = this->send_message(req, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE);
+    if (!this->flags_.sent_ping) {
+      // If we can't send the ping request directly (tx_buffer full),
+      // schedule it at the front of the batch so it will be sent with priority
+      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Buffer full, ping queued");
+      this->schedule_message_front_(nullptr, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE, PingRequest::ESTIMATED_SIZE);
+      this->flags_.sent_ping = true;  // Mark as sent to avoid scheduling multiple pings
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void APIConnection::process_active_iterator_() {
   // Caller ensures active_iterator_ != NONE
   if (this->active_iterator_ == ActiveIterator::LIST_ENTITIES) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
index e34bed8ada..37855b2482 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
@@ -370,6 +370,10 @@ class APIConnection final : public APIServerConnectionBase {
     return this->client_supports_api_version(1, 14) ? MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH : MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH_LEGACY;
   }
 
+  // Send keepalive ping or disconnect unresponsive client.
+  // Cold path — extracted from loop() to reduce instruction cache pressure.
+  void __attribute__((noinline)) check_keepalive_(uint32_t now);
+
   // Process active iterator (list_entities/initial_state) during connection setup.
   // Extracted from loop() — only runs during initial handshake, NONE in steady state.
   void __attribute__((noinline)) process_active_iterator_();