diff --git a/esphome/automation.py b/esphome/automation.py
index 393a79422b..4a2c10cb52 100644
--- a/esphome/automation.py
+++ b/esphome/automation.py
@@ -248,6 +248,23 @@ def flash_string(config: ConfigType, value: str) -> str:
     return str(cg.progmem_string(value))
 
 
+def flash_compare(config: ConfigType, value: str) -> str:
+    """Default renderer for ``std::string`` constants in conditions; compares in flash on ESP8266."""
+    if CORE.is_esp8266:
+        return f"::esphome::ProgmemStringRef{{PSTR({cg.safe_exp(value)}), {len(value.encode('utf-8'))}}}"
+    return str(cg.safe_exp(value))
+
+
+def _default_std_string(
+    members: list[tuple[str, Any, Any]], renderer: Callable[[ConfigType, str], str]
+) -> list[tuple[str, Any, Any]]:
+    """Give ``cg.std_string`` members without a renderer the given default."""
+    return [
+        (key, t, fn or (renderer if t is cg.std_string else None))
+        for key, t, fn in members
+    ]
+
+
 def literal_with_length(config: ConfigType, value: str) -> str:
     """Renderer for a ``(const char *, size_t)`` target: a plain literal plus its byte length.
 
@@ -491,10 +508,7 @@ def apply_action_builder(
     statements_spec = [
         (
             c.target,
-            [
-                (key, t, fn or (flash_string if t is cg.std_string else None))
-                for key, t, fn in c.members
-            ],
+            _default_std_string(c.members, flash_string),
         )
         for c in (f if isinstance(f, ApplyCall) else f.call() for f in fields)
     ]
@@ -563,11 +577,12 @@ def register_apply_condition(
     ``check`` is applied to the parent: ``"is_playing()"`` becomes ``parent->is_playing()``; an
     ``ApplyCall`` such as ``ApplyCall("state == {}", ((CONF_STATE, cg.bool_),))`` compares
     against config values, all of which must be present. Write ``== false`` to negate.
-    String constants are plain literals, so compare a ``std::string`` or ``StringRef`` member.
+    A ``cg.std_string`` constant stays in flash on ESP8266 and supports only ``==`` or ``!=``
+    against a ``std::string`` or ``StringRef`` member; other string types are plain literals.
     Generates one static predicate and an ``ApplyCondition`` templated on it.
     """
     call = check if isinstance(check, ApplyCall) else ApplyCall(check)
-    members = call.members
+    members = _default_std_string(call.members, flash_compare)
     _check_key_in_schema(name, schema, id_key)
     for conf_key, _, _ in members:
         _check_key_in_schema(name, schema, conf_key)
diff --git a/esphome/core/string_ref.h b/esphome/core/string_ref.h
index 1427541229..e9e31411e4 100644
--- a/esphome/core/string_ref.h
+++ b/esphome/core/string_ref.h
@@ -188,6 +188,25 @@ inline bool operator==(const __FlashStringHelper *lhs, const StringRef &rhs) { r
 inline bool operator!=(const StringRef &lhs, const __FlashStringHelper *rhs) { return !(lhs == rhs); }
 
 inline bool operator!=(const __FlashStringHelper *lhs, const StringRef &rhs) { return !(rhs == lhs); }
+
+/// Codegen use only: a flash string literal with its byte length, compared without a runtime strlen.
+struct ProgmemStringRef {
+  PGM_P str;
+  size_t len;
+};
+
+inline bool operator==(const std::string &lhs, ProgmemStringRef rhs) {
+  return lhs.size() == rhs.len && (rhs.len == 0 || memcmp_P(lhs.data(), rhs.str, rhs.len) == 0);
+}
+
+inline bool operator!=(const std::string &lhs, ProgmemStringRef rhs) { return !(lhs == rhs); }
+
+inline bool operator==(const StringRef &lhs, ProgmemStringRef rhs) {
+  // A StringRef may be {nullptr, 0}, and memcmp_P with a null pointer is undefined even for 0 bytes
+  return lhs.size() == rhs.len && (rhs.len == 0 || memcmp_P(lhs.c_str(), rhs.str, rhs.len) == 0);
+}
+
+inline bool operator!=(const StringRef &lhs, ProgmemStringRef rhs) { return !(lhs == rhs); }
 #endif  // USE_ESP8266
 
 inline bool operator<(const StringRef &lhs, const StringRef &rhs) {
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_automation.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_automation.py
index f2d4628044..fe0b1b02ed 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_automation.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_automation.py
@@ -1293,13 +1293,25 @@ async def test_apply_condition_compares_config_value(
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("platform", ["esp32", "esp8266"])
-async def test_apply_condition_string_constant_is_a_plain_literal(
-    registries: tuple[Registry, Registry], mock_cg: MockCodegen, platform: str
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("platform", "value", "expected"),
+    [
+        ("esp32", "two", '"two"'),
+        ("esp8266", "two", '::esphome::ProgmemStringRef{PSTR("two"), 3}'),
+        # The length is in bytes, not characters
+        ("esp8266", "é", '::esphome::ProgmemStringRef{PSTR("\\303\\251"), 2}'),
+    ],
+)
+async def test_apply_condition_string_constant(
+    registries: tuple[Registry, Registry],
+    mock_cg: MockCodegen,
+    platform: str,
+    value: str,
+    expected: str,
 ) -> None:
     check = ApplyCall("state == {}", (("state", cg.std_string),))
-    await _run_apply_condition(registries, check, {"state": "two"}, platform=platform)
-    assert f'return ::{PARENT_OBJ}->state == "two";' in _apply_definition(mock_cg)
+    await _run_apply_condition(registries, check, {"state": value}, platform=platform)
+    assert f"return ::{PARENT_OBJ}->state == {expected};" in _apply_definition(mock_cg)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio