diff --git a/esphome/components/nextion/nextion_upload_esp32.cpp b/esphome/components/nextion/nextion_upload_esp32.cpp
index cd8feab84f..e2d5ae8ad7 100644
--- a/esphome/components/nextion/nextion_upload_esp32.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/nextion/nextion_upload_esp32.cpp
@@ -44,17 +44,60 @@ int Nextion::upload_by_chunks_(esp_http_client_handle_t http_client, uint32_t &r
   ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Range: %s", range_header);
   esp_http_client_set_header(http_client, "Range", range_header);
   ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Open HTTP");
-  esp_err_t err = esp_http_client_open(http_client, 0);
-  if (err != ESP_OK) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "HTTP open failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(err));
-    return -1;
+  int chunk_size = -1;
+  int status_code = -1;
+  esp_err_t last_err = ESP_FAIL;
+  for (uint8_t attempt = 0; attempt < this->tft_upload_http_retries_; attempt++) {
+    status_code = -1;
+    last_err = esp_http_client_open(http_client, 0);
+    if (last_err == ESP_OK) {
+      ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Fetch length");
+      chunk_size = esp_http_client_fetch_headers(http_client);
+      ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Length: %d", chunk_size);
+      if (chunk_size >= 0) {
+        status_code = esp_http_client_get_status_code(http_client);
+        // Accept the requested range (206 with exact length) or a full-body 200
+        // only from offset 0; elsewhere a 200 replays the file and corrupts the display.
+        if (chunk_size > 0 &&
+            ((status_code == 206 && chunk_size == static_cast<int>(range_end - range_start + 1)) ||
+             (status_code == 200 && range_start == 0 && chunk_size == static_cast<int>(this->tft_size_)))) {
+          break;
+        }
+        if (status_code == 200) {
+          if (range_start == 0) {
+            ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Unexpected length for 200 response: %d (expected %d)", chunk_size,
+                     static_cast<int>(this->tft_size_));
+          } else {
+            // A server that ignored the range once will ignore it again
+            ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Server does not support range requests (got 200 at offset %" PRIu32 ")", range_start);
+          }
+          chunk_size = -1;
+          last_err = ESP_FAIL;
+          break;
+        }
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Bad response: status %d, length %d (expected %" PRIu32 ")", status_code, chunk_size,
+                 range_end - range_start + 1);
+        chunk_size = -1;
+        last_err = ESP_FAIL;
+        // A 4xx (except timeout/rate-limit) won't improve on retry
+        if (status_code >= 400 && status_code < 500 && status_code != 408 && status_code != 429) {
+          break;
+        }
+      } else {
+        ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Get length failed: %d", chunk_size);
+        last_err = ESP_FAIL;
+      }
+    } else {
+      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "HTTP open failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(last_err));
+    }
+    // The server may have dropped the keep-alive connection while the display
+    // was busy processing a chunk; close so the next attempt reconnects.
+    esp_http_client_close(http_client);
+    vTaskDelay(pdMS_TO_TICKS(2));  // NOLINT
+    App.feed_wdt();
   }
-
-  ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Fetch length");
-  const int chunk_size = esp_http_client_fetch_headers(http_client);
-  ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Length: %d", chunk_size);
   if (chunk_size <= 0) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Get length failed: %d", chunk_size);
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "HTTP request failed, last status: %d, last error: %s", status_code, esp_err_to_name(last_err));
     return -1;
   }
 
@@ -164,6 +207,9 @@ int Nextion::upload_by_chunks_(esp_http_client_handle_t http_client, uint32_t &r
         } else {
           range_start = range_end + 1;
         }
+        // The response body may be only partially read; close so the next
+        // range request starts on a clean connection.
+        esp_http_client_close(http_client);
         // Deallocate buffer
         allocator.deallocate(buffer, 4096);
         buffer = nullptr;