diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-docker.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-docker.yml
index 42be51cdd9..757340074b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-docker.yml
@@ -201,6 +201,17 @@ jobs:
           - ln882x-arduino
           - nrf52
           - host
+        # Fail the job if the precompiled header silently degrades on the
+        # platforms where it must work (libretiny needs a toolchain bump)
+        include:
+          - id: esp8266-arduino
+            pch_strict: "1"
+          - id: esp32-idf-esp-idf
+            pch_strict: "1"
+          - id: esp32-arduino-esp-idf
+            pch_strict: "1"
+          - id: rp2040-arduino
+            pch_strict: "1"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
       - name: Download image artifact
@@ -212,6 +223,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Compile ${{ matrix.id }}
         run: |
           docker run --rm \
+            -e ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT="${{ matrix.pch_strict || '0' }}" \
             -v "${{ github.workspace }}/docker/test_configs:/config" \
             "ghcr.io/esphome/esphome-amd64:${{ needs.check-docker.outputs.tag }}" \
             compile "${{ matrix.id }}.yaml"
diff --git a/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py b/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
index d93c1b7943..311adb29f2 100644
--- a/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
+++ b/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from esphome.build_helpers.pch import (
     PCH_HEADER_NAME,
     mark_pch_emitted,
     pch_checksum,
+    pch_degraded,
     pch_enabled,
     pch_header_text,
 )
@@ -1230,6 +1231,7 @@ def write_project(paths: InstalledPaths, ccache: str | None) -> bool:
             "A -include in build_flags prevents the precompiled header from "
             "loading; compiling without it"
         )
+        pch_degraded("a user -include precedes the pch")
     elif pch_enabled():
         # C++ src edges swap the force-includes for one precompiled prefix
         # header (same content plus defines.h); C/assembly keep srcflags
@@ -1263,6 +1265,7 @@ def write_project(paths: InstalledPaths, ccache: str | None) -> bool:
             _LOGGER.warning(
                 "Could not establish the pch identity; compiling without it: %s", err
             )
+            pch_degraded(f"identity unknown: {err}")
         else:
             _LOGGER.info(
                 "Compiling with a precompiled header "
diff --git a/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py b/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
index d34d3b0029..96b663dd93 100644
--- a/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
+++ b/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
@@ -102,6 +102,19 @@ def pch_enabled() -> bool:
     return parse_enable_env("ESPHOME_PCH_ENABLE") is not False
 
 
+def pch_strict() -> bool:
+    """CI knob: ``ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT=1`` turns pch degrade paths fatal."""
+    return parse_enable_env("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT") is True
+
+
+def pch_degraded(reason: str) -> None:
+    """Every degrade path funnels through here; strict mode raises."""
+    if pch_strict():
+        from esphome.core import EsphomeError
+
+        raise EsphomeError(f"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT: {reason}")
+
+
 def ccache_pch_env() -> dict[str, str]:
     """Settings ccache needs to cache compiles that consume the .gch;
     empty unless this build actually emitted one. User-set values win.
@@ -333,6 +346,7 @@ def prepare_pch(
     if cmd_and_dir is None:
         # Freshness cannot be validated; a leftover .gch must not be consumed
         discard_pch(build_dir)
+        pch_degraded("no usable compile command")
         return
     cmd, cmd_dir = cmd_and_dir
     # Strip like ccache's rewriting (user CCACHE_BASEDIR wins); the raw
@@ -359,6 +373,7 @@ def prepare_pch(
             "Could not establish the pch identity; compiling without it: %s", err
         )
         discard_pch(build_dir)
+        pch_degraded(f"identity unknown: {err}")
         return
     if gch.is_file() and _read_stamp(sum_path) == checksum:
         _log_pch_in_use()
@@ -369,6 +384,7 @@ def prepare_pch(
             "Precompiled header disabled after an earlier failure; delete %s to retry",
             failed_marker,
         )
+        pch_degraded("earlier failure latched")
         return
     _log_pch_in_use()
     try:
@@ -400,6 +416,7 @@ def prepare_pch(
         # Transient (timeout, spawn/IO): warn and retry next build, no marker
         _LOGGER.warning("Precompiled header compile did not run: %s", err)
         discard_pch(build_dir)
+        pch_degraded(f"compile did not run: {err}")
         return
     if error is not None:
         _LOGGER.warning(
@@ -410,10 +427,12 @@ def prepare_pch(
         discard_pch(build_dir)
         if any(m in error for m in _TRANSIENT_ERRORS):
             # Resource exhaustion clears on its own; retry next build
+            pch_degraded(f"transient compile failure: {error[:200]}")
             return
         # Skip retries until a header/flag/backend-identity/command change
         failed_marker.write_text(checksum + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
         os.utime(header)
+        pch_degraded(f"compile failed: {error[:200]}")
         return
     failed_marker.unlink(missing_ok=True)
     sum_path.write_text(checksum + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
diff --git a/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script b/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
index 64f1729050..505ba1c74a 100644
--- a/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
+++ b/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def _read_stamp(path: Path) -> str:
         return ""
 
 
-def _setup_pch() -> None:
+def _setup_pch() -> bool | None:
     if projenv is None:
         # Expected under -t nobuild; anything else must leave a trail
         print(f"ESPHome: projenv unavailable ({_projenv_error}); skipping pch")
@@ -355,10 +355,20 @@ def _setup_pch() -> None:
     )
     projenv["ENV"].update(ccache_updates)  # noqa: F821
     print("ESPHome: Compiling with precompiled header")
+    return True
 
 
+_strict = os.environ.get("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", "").strip().lower() in (
+    "1",
+    "true",
+    "yes",
+    "on",
+)
 try:
-    _setup_pch()
+    if not _setup_pch() and _strict:
+        raise RuntimeError("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT: precompiled header was not used")
 except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 -- a speedup must never break the build
+    if _strict:
+        raise
     print("ESPHome: pch internal error; compiling without it")
     traceback.print_exc()
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
index dd0d9f5d40..7d3928c4d8 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
@@ -1842,3 +1842,17 @@ def test_write_project_pch_no_device_path_poison(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
             (CORE.relative_pioenvs_path(name) / "esphome_pch.h.gch.sum").read_text()
         )
     assert sums[0] == sums[1]
+
+
+def test_write_project_pch_strict_raises_on_skip(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    from esphome.core import EsphomeError
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", "1")
+    paths = _make_framework(tmp_path)
+    _set_flags(
+        "-DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_HIGHER_BANDWIDTH_LOW_FLASH", "-include foo.h"
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(EsphomeError, match="precedes the pch"):
+        _write_ninja(paths, ccache="/usr/bin/ccache")
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
index dca97c5fde..c0286444b1 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
@@ -1078,3 +1078,22 @@ def test_prepare_pch_transient_compiler_failure_does_not_latch(
         prepare_pch()
     assert not (dev / "build" / "esphome_pch.h.gch.failed").exists()
     assert len(calls) == 2
+
+
+def test_prepare_pch_strict_raises_on_missing_db(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    """ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT turns the silent skip into a failure."""
+    from esphome.build_gen.espidf import prepare_pch
+    from esphome.core import EsphomeError
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", "1")
+    dev = _make_pch_device(tmp_path, "dev_st")
+    (dev / "build" / "compile_commands.json").unlink()
+    CORE.build_path = dev
+    with (
+        patch.object(CORE, "name", "test"),
+        patch("esphome.build_helpers.pch.subprocess.run", side_effect=AssertionError),
+        pytest.raises(EsphomeError, match="no usable compile command"),
+    ):
+        prepare_pch()
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_helpers/test_pch.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_helpers/test_pch.py
index 010c93bb66..1d8423eb1c 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_helpers/test_pch.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_helpers/test_pch.py
@@ -216,3 +216,29 @@ def test_ccache_pch_env_warns_on_falsy_extsum(
         env = pch.ccache_pch_env()
     assert "CCACHE_PCH_EXTSUM" not in env
     assert "disables pch caching" in caplog.text
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("value", "expected"),
+    [(None, False), ("0", False), ("1", True), ("true", True)],
+)
+def test_pch_strict(
+    value: str | None, expected: bool, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    if value is None:
+        monkeypatch.delenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", raising=False)
+    else:
+        monkeypatch.setenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", value)
+    assert pch.pch_strict() is expected
+
+
+def test_pch_degraded_raises_only_in_strict(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    from esphome.core import EsphomeError
+
+    monkeypatch.delenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", raising=False)
+    pch.pch_degraded("reason")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", "1")
+    with pytest.raises(EsphomeError, match="reason"):
+        pch.pch_degraded("reason")
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
index ab6408f0ed..60c07bdb9d 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
@@ -458,3 +458,14 @@ def test_pch_script_unreadable_local_header_skips_pch(
     assert not (proj / "esphome_pch.h.gch.sum").exists()
     assert scons_env.prepended == []
     assert "skipping precompiled header" in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_pch_script_strict_raises_when_pch_not_used(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT fails the build instead of degrading."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception, match="ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT|boom"):
+        _run_script(tmp_path, fail=True, env_vars={"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT": "1"})
+
+
+def test_pch_script_strict_passes_on_success(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    scons_env = _run_script(tmp_path, env_vars={"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT": "1"})
+    assert scons_env.prepended