diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
index 906144e5fd..205acc55a5 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ from esphome.const import (
     CONF_SERVICE_UUID,
     CONF_TRIGGER_ID,
 )
-from esphome.core import CORE, ID, CoroPriority, TimePeriod, coroutine_with_priority
-from esphome.cpp_generator import MockObj, TemplateArgsType
+from esphome.core import CORE, CoroPriority, TimePeriod, coroutine_with_priority
 from esphome.enum import StrEnum
 from esphome.types import ConfigType
 
@@ -116,12 +115,6 @@ BLEEndOfScanTrigger = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
     "BLEEndOfScanTrigger", automation.Trigger.template()
 )
 # Actions
-ESP32BLEStartScanAction = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
-    "ESP32BLEStartScanAction", automation.Action
-)
-ESP32BLEStopScanAction = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
-    "ESP32BLEStopScanAction", automation.Action
-)
 
 
 def validate_max_connections_deprecated(config: ConfigType) -> ConfigType:
@@ -469,23 +462,12 @@ ESP32_BLE_START_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
 )
 
 
-@automation.register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "esp32_ble_tracker.start_scan",
-    ESP32BLEStartScanAction,
     ESP32_BLE_START_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA,
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyField(CONF_CONTINUOUS, "set_scan_continuous", cg.bool_),
+    automation.ApplyCall("start_scan_if_idle()"),
 )
-async def esp32_ble_tracker_start_scan_action_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
-    template_ = await cg.templatable(config[CONF_CONTINUOUS], args, cg.bool_)
-    cg.add(var.set_continuous(template_))
-    return var
 
 
 ESP32_BLE_STOP_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA = automation.maybe_simple_id(
@@ -497,21 +479,11 @@ ESP32_BLE_STOP_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA = automation.maybe_simple_id(
 )
 
 
-@automation.register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "esp32_ble_tracker.stop_scan",
-    ESP32BLEStopScanAction,
     ESP32_BLE_STOP_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA,
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyCall("stop_scan()"),
 )
-async def esp32_ble_tracker_stop_scan_action_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg)
-    await cg.register_parented(var, config[CONF_ID])
-    return var
 
 
 async def register_ble_device(
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
index 541b63b2fd..9b4eb2c3b3 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
@@ -94,30 +94,6 @@ class BLEEndOfScanTrigger final : public Trigger<>, public ESPBTDeviceListener {
   void on_scan_end() override { this->trigger(); }
 };
 
-template<typename... Ts> class ESP32BLEStartScanAction final : public Action<Ts...> {
- public:
-  ESP32BLEStartScanAction(ESP32BLETracker *parent) : parent_(parent) {}
-  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(bool, continuous)
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override {
-    this->parent_->set_scan_continuous(this->continuous_.value(x...));
-    // Only call start_scan() if scanner is IDLE
-    // For other states (STARTING, RUNNING, STOPPING, FAILED), the normal state
-    // machine flow will eventually transition back to IDLE, at which point
-    // loop() will see scan_continuous_ and restart scanning if it is true.
-    if (this->parent_->get_scanner_state() == ScannerState::IDLE) {
-      this->parent_->start_scan();
-    }
-  }
-
- protected:
-  ESP32BLETracker *parent_;
-};
-
-template<typename... Ts> class ESP32BLEStopScanAction final : public Action<Ts...>, public Parented<ESP32BLETracker> {
- public:
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override { this->parent_->stop_scan(); }
-};
-
 }  // namespace esphome::esp32_ble_tracker
 
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
index aa470983df..6b71480ed3 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
@@ -218,6 +218,12 @@ class ESP32BLETracker final : public Component,
 #endif
 
   void start_scan();
+  // For the start_scan action: in any other state the state machine returns to IDLE on its own
+  // and loop() restarts scanning when scan_continuous_ is set, so only an idle scanner starts here.
+  void start_scan_if_idle() {
+    if (this->scanner_state_ == ScannerState::IDLE)
+      this->start_scan();
+  }
   void stop_scan();
 
   void gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_gatt_if_t gattc_if, esp_ble_gattc_cb_param_t *param);