diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
index 24bf64a99c..c44ee5b1de 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -829,6 +829,12 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_process_event_(IDFWiFiEvent *data) {
              (const char *) it.ssid, bssid_buf, it.channel, get_auth_mode_str(it.authmode));
 #endif
     s_sta_connected = true;
+#if USE_NETWORK_IPV6
+    // Start SLAAC on association, not after a DHCPv4 lease that may never arrive.
+    if (esp_err_t ll_err = esp_netif_create_ip6_linklocal(s_sta_netif); ll_err != ESP_OK) {
+      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "esp_netif_create_ip6_linklocal failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(ll_err));
+    }
+#endif /* USE_NETWORK_IPV6 */
     if (this->state_ == WIFI_COMPONENT_STATE_STA_CONNECTED) {
       // Driver-initiated roam: the WIFI_REASON_ROAMING disconnect was ignored,
       // so the state machine never left STA_CONNECTED.
@@ -881,9 +887,6 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_process_event_(IDFWiFiEvent *data) {
 
   } else if (data->event_base == IP_EVENT && data->event_id == IP_EVENT_STA_GOT_IP) {
     const auto &it = data->data.ip_got_ip;
-#if USE_NETWORK_IPV6
-    esp_netif_create_ip6_linklocal(s_sta_netif);
-#endif /* USE_NETWORK_IPV6 */
     ESP_LOGV(TAG, "static_ip=" IPSTR " gateway=" IPSTR, IP2STR(&it.ip_info.ip), IP2STR(&it.ip_info.gw));
     this->got_ipv4_address_ = true;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_IP_STATE_LISTENERS