diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
index e916625971..c6e34f37ca 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ def _raise_defaulted_scan_window(config: ConfigType) -> ConfigType:
         # A larger value would widen the scan during connections.
         raise cv.Invalid(
             f"{CONF_CONNECTION_SCAN_WINDOW} ({connection_window}) needs to be "
-            f"smaller than the scan window ({params[CONF_WINDOW]})"
+            f"smaller than the scan window ({params[CONF_WINDOW]})",
+            path=[CONF_SCAN_PARAMETERS, CONF_CONNECTION_SCAN_WINDOW],
         )
     return config
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
index ceb0fc8eff..f31d5e6c55 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,8 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
   // scan would not restart); !disconnecting matches the restart gate below.
   if (this->using_connection_window_ && !counts.active && !counts.disconnecting && this->scan_continuous_ &&
       this->scanner_state_ == ScannerState::RUNNING) {
-    // Same logical scan period continues: no extra on_scan_end for listeners.
+    // Same logical scan period continues: cleanup_scan_state_ and start_scan_
+    // both skip their on_scan_end sweep.
     this->skip_next_scan_end_ = true;
     this->stop_scan_();
   }
@@ -528,14 +529,22 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::cleanup_scan_state_(bool is_stop_complete) {
   // Reset timeout state machine instead of cancelling scheduler timeout
   this->scan_timeout_state_ = ScanTimeoutState::INACTIVE;
 
+  bool notify_scan_end = true;
+#ifdef ESPHOME_ESP32_BLE_TRACKER_CLIENT_COUNT
+  // Window-change restart continues the scan period: no on_scan_end here.
+  // The flag stays set so start_scan_ skips its sweep too.
+  notify_scan_end = !this->skip_next_scan_end_;
+#endif
+  if (notify_scan_end) {
 #ifdef ESPHOME_ESP32_BLE_TRACKER_LISTENER_COUNT
-  for (auto *listener : this->listeners_)
-    listener->on_scan_end();
+    for (auto *listener : this->listeners_)
+      listener->on_scan_end();
 #endif
 #ifdef ESPHOME_BLE_DEVICE_BASE_LISTENER_COUNT
-  for (auto *listener : this->neutral_listeners_)
-    listener->on_scan_end();
+    for (auto *listener : this->neutral_listeners_)
+      listener->on_scan_end();
 #endif
+  }
 
   this->set_scanner_state_(ScannerState::IDLE);
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
index 1ac3211c92..aa7728010c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class ESP32BLETracker final : public Component,
   /// The running scan was started with connection_scan_window_; lets loop()
   /// restart the scan at the configured window when the last connection drops.
   bool using_connection_window_ : 1 {false};
-  /// Skip one on_scan_end sweep: the window-change restart continues the period.
+  /// Suppress the window-change restart's on_scan_end sweeps (stop and start).
   bool skip_next_scan_end_ : 1 {false};
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_ESP32_BLE_SOFTWARE_COEXISTENCE
diff --git a/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/config/scan_window_user_set_scan_only.yaml b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/config/scan_window_user_set_scan_only.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b9093164f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/config/scan_window_user_set_scan_only.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+esphome:
+  name: scan-window-user-scan-only
+
+esp32:
+  board: esp32dev
+  framework:
+    type: esp-idf
+
+wifi:
+  ssid: MySSID
+
+esp32_ble_tracker:
+  scan_parameters:
+    connection_scan_window: 20ms
diff --git a/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_scan_window_default.py b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_scan_window_default.py
index 8a3680d021..bd577248fb 100644
--- a/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_scan_window_default.py
+++ b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_scan_window_default.py
@@ -222,3 +222,17 @@ def test_codegen_no_connection_window_without_gatt_clients(
     main_cpp = generate_main(component_config_path("scan_window_scan_only.yaml"))
     assert "set_scan_window(512)" in main_cpp
     assert "set_connection_scan_window" not in main_cpp
+
+
+def test_user_set_connection_window_warns_without_gatt_clients(
+    generate_main: Callable[[str | Path], str],
+    component_config_path: Callable[[str], Path],
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """A user-set value that cannot take effect warns; the injected default
+    (previous test) is dropped silently."""
+    main_cpp = generate_main(
+        component_config_path("scan_window_user_set_scan_only.yaml")
+    )
+    assert "set_connection_scan_window" not in main_cpp
+    assert "'connection_scan_window' has no effect" in caplog.text