diff --git a/esphome/components/light/light_color_values.cpp b/esphome/components/light/light_color_values.cpp
index 391179acfc..e54cc0a12a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/light_color_values.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/light/light_color_values.cpp
@@ -2,28 +2,29 @@
 
 namespace esphome::light {
 
-// Lightweight lerp without std::lerp's NaN/infinity handling overhead.
-// Safe here because all color values are pre-clamped finite floats.
-static inline float fast_lerp(float a, float b, float t) { return a + t * (b - a); }
+// Lightweight lerp: a + t * (b - a).
+// Avoids std::lerp's NaN/infinity handling which Clang doesn't optimize out,
+// adding ~200 bytes per call. Safe because all values are finite floats.
+static float __attribute__((noinline)) lerp_fast(float a, float b, float t) { return a + t * (b - a); }
 
 LightColorValues LightColorValues::lerp(const LightColorValues &start, const LightColorValues &end, float completion) {
   // Directly interpolate the raw values to avoid getter/setter overhead.
   // This is safe because:
-  // - All LightColorValues have their values clamped when set via the setters
-  // - fast_lerp output stays in range when inputs are in range and 0 <= completion <= 1
+  // - All LightColorValues except color_temperature_ have their values clamped when set via the setters
+  // - lerp_fast output stays in range when inputs are in range and 0 <= completion <= 1
   // - Therefore the output doesn't need clamping, so we can skip the setters
   LightColorValues v;
   v.color_mode_ = end.color_mode_;
-  v.state_ = fast_lerp(start.state_, end.state_, completion);
-  v.brightness_ = fast_lerp(start.brightness_, end.brightness_, completion);
-  v.color_brightness_ = fast_lerp(start.color_brightness_, end.color_brightness_, completion);
-  v.red_ = fast_lerp(start.red_, end.red_, completion);
-  v.green_ = fast_lerp(start.green_, end.green_, completion);
-  v.blue_ = fast_lerp(start.blue_, end.blue_, completion);
-  v.white_ = fast_lerp(start.white_, end.white_, completion);
-  v.color_temperature_ = fast_lerp(start.color_temperature_, end.color_temperature_, completion);
-  v.cold_white_ = fast_lerp(start.cold_white_, end.cold_white_, completion);
-  v.warm_white_ = fast_lerp(start.warm_white_, end.warm_white_, completion);
+  v.state_ = lerp_fast(start.state_, end.state_, completion);
+  v.brightness_ = lerp_fast(start.brightness_, end.brightness_, completion);
+  v.color_brightness_ = lerp_fast(start.color_brightness_, end.color_brightness_, completion);
+  v.red_ = lerp_fast(start.red_, end.red_, completion);
+  v.green_ = lerp_fast(start.green_, end.green_, completion);
+  v.blue_ = lerp_fast(start.blue_, end.blue_, completion);
+  v.white_ = lerp_fast(start.white_, end.white_, completion);
+  v.color_temperature_ = lerp_fast(start.color_temperature_, end.color_temperature_, completion);
+  v.cold_white_ = lerp_fast(start.cold_white_, end.cold_white_, completion);
+  v.warm_white_ = lerp_fast(start.warm_white_, end.warm_white_, completion);
   return v;
 }