diff --git a/esphome/build_gen/espidf.py b/esphome/build_gen/espidf.py
index 9cc7a7ff12..9e11d785c0 100644
--- a/esphome/build_gen/espidf.py
+++ b/esphome/build_gen/espidf.py
@@ -8,6 +8,17 @@ import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.core import CORE
 from esphome.helpers import mkdir_p, write_file_if_changed
 
+# Replaces the IDF default C++ standard (-std=gnu++2b appended to
+# CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS by project.cmake's __build_init) with the one set via
+# cg.set_cpp_standard(). Emitted between include(project.cmake) and project(),
+# i.e. after IDF appends its default and before the options are consumed, and
+# applies project-wide like PlatformIO build_unflags.
+CPP_STANDARD_TEMPLATE = """\
+idf_build_get_property(esphome_cxx_compile_options CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS)
+list(FILTER esphome_cxx_compile_options EXCLUDE REGEX "^-std=")
+list(APPEND esphome_cxx_compile_options "-std={standard}")
+idf_build_set_property(CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS "${{esphome_cxx_compile_options}}")"""
+
 
 def get_available_components() -> list[str] | None:
     """Get list of built-in ESP-IDF components from project_description.json.
@@ -84,6 +95,12 @@ def get_project_cmakelists(minimal: bool = False) -> str:
         for flag in project_compile_opts
     )
 
+    cpp_standard_options = (
+        CPP_STANDARD_TEMPLATE.format(standard=CORE.cpp_standard)
+        if CORE.cpp_standard
+        else ""
+    )
+
     # Per-project list exposed as a CMake variable so converted PIO libs
     # can reference ${ESPHOME_PROJECT_MANAGED_COMPONENTS} without baking
     # project-specific names into their cached CMakeLists.
@@ -140,6 +157,8 @@ set(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS ${{CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}}/src)
 
 include($ENV{{IDF_PATH}}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
 
+{cpp_standard_options}
+
 {extra_compile_options}
 
 {managed_components_property}
@@ -200,9 +219,6 @@ idf_component_register(
     REQUIRES ${{ESPHOME_PROJECT_BUILTIN_COMPONENTS}}
 )
 
-# Apply C++ standard
-target_compile_features(${{COMPONENT_LIB}} PUBLIC cxx_std_20)
-
 # ESPHome linker options
 target_link_options(${{COMPONENT_LIB}} PUBLIC
     {link_opts_str}
diff --git a/esphome/build_gen/platformio.py b/esphome/build_gen/platformio.py
index 16c1597ccd..a583279ea7 100644
--- a/esphome/build_gen/platformio.py
+++ b/esphome/build_gen/platformio.py
@@ -33,12 +33,27 @@ def format_ini(data: dict[str, str | list[str]]) -> str:
     return content
 
 
+# All -std= variants a platform/framework may set by default, in both the GNU
+# and strict dialects; unflagged so the cg.set_cpp_standard() value is the
+# only standard left in the build.
+CPP_STD_VARIANTS = [
+    f"{prefix}{year}"
+    for year in ("11", "14", "17", "20", "23", "26", "2a", "2b", "2c")
+    for prefix in ("gnu++", "c++")
+]
+
+
 def get_ini_content():
     CORE.add_platformio_option(
         "lib_deps",
         [x.as_lib_dep for x in CORE.platformio_libraries.values()]
         + ["${common.lib_deps}"],
     )
+    if CORE.cpp_standard:
+        for variant in CPP_STD_VARIANTS:
+            if variant != CORE.cpp_standard:
+                CORE.add_build_unflag(f"-std={variant}")
+        CORE.add_build_flag(f"-std={CORE.cpp_standard}")
     # Sort to avoid changing build flags order
     CORE.add_platformio_option("build_flags", sorted(CORE.build_flags))
 
diff --git a/esphome/core/__init__.py b/esphome/core/__init__.py
index 90c162fedd..4289cdf3e5 100644
--- a/esphome/core/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/core/__init__.py
@@ -593,6 +593,8 @@ class EsphomeCore:
         self.build_flags: set[str] = set()
         # A set of build unflags to set in the platformio project
         self.build_unflags: set[str] = set()
+        # The C++ language standard for the build (e.g. "gnu++20"), set via cg.set_cpp_standard()
+        self.cpp_standard: str | None = None
         # A set of defines to set for the compile process in esphome/core/defines.h
         self.defines: set[Define] = set()
         # A map of all platformio options to apply
@@ -649,6 +651,7 @@ class EsphomeCore:
         self.platformio_libraries = {}
         self.build_flags = set()
         self.build_unflags = set()
+        self.cpp_standard = None
         self.defines = set()
         self.platformio_options = {}
         self.loaded_integrations = set()
diff --git a/esphome/cpp_generator.py b/esphome/cpp_generator.py
index 151018baa4..582b8fc74d 100644
--- a/esphome/cpp_generator.py
+++ b/esphome/cpp_generator.py
@@ -705,15 +705,8 @@ def add_build_unflag(build_unflag: str) -> None:
 
 
 def set_cpp_standard(standard: str) -> None:
-    """Set C++ standard with compiler flag `-std={standard}`."""
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++11")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++14")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++17")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++23")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++2a")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++2b")
-    CORE.add_build_unflag("-std=gnu++2c")
-    CORE.add_build_flag(f"-std={standard}")
+    """Set the C++ language standard for the build (e.g. ``gnu++20``)."""
+    CORE.cpp_standard = standard
 
 
 def add_define(name: str, value: SafeExpType = None):
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
index 540dd06731..a5c2719f42 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
@@ -162,3 +162,53 @@ def test_get_project_cmakelists_emits_managed_components_property(
                 "idf_build_set_property(ESPHOME_PROJECT_MANAGED_COMPONENTS"
                 " espressif__esp-dsp APPEND)"
             ) in content
+
+
+def test_get_project_cmakelists_replaces_cpp_standard(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """cg.set_cpp_standard() replaces the IDF default -std in
+    CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS between include(project.cmake) and project()."""
+    with (
+        patch("esphome.build_gen.espidf.get_esp32_variant", return_value="ESP32"),
+        patch.object(CORE, "name", "test"),
+        patch.object(CORE, "cpp_standard", "gnu++20"),
+    ):
+        from esphome.build_gen.espidf import get_project_cmakelists
+
+        content = get_project_cmakelists(minimal=True)
+
+    assert (
+        "idf_build_get_property(esphome_cxx_compile_options CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS)"
+        in content
+    )
+    assert 'list(FILTER esphome_cxx_compile_options EXCLUDE REGEX "^-std=")' in content
+    assert 'list(APPEND esphome_cxx_compile_options "-std=gnu++20")' in content
+    # The replacement must come after project.cmake (which appends the IDF
+    # default) and before project() (which consumes the options).
+    include_pos = content.index("tools/cmake/project.cmake")
+    replace_pos = content.index("CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS")
+    project_pos = content.index("project(test)")
+    assert include_pos < replace_pos < project_pos
+
+
+def test_get_project_cmakelists_no_cpp_standard(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    with (
+        patch("esphome.build_gen.espidf.get_esp32_variant", return_value="ESP32"),
+        patch.object(CORE, "name", "test"),
+        patch.object(CORE, "cpp_standard", None),
+    ):
+        from esphome.build_gen.espidf import get_project_cmakelists
+
+        content = get_project_cmakelists(minimal=True)
+
+    assert "CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS" not in content
+
+
+def test_get_component_cmakelists_no_compile_features() -> None:
+    """The C++ standard is pinned project-wide via CXX_COMPILE_OPTIONS in the
+    top-level CMakeLists; the src component must not set its own."""
+    with patch.object(CORE, "build_flags", set()):
+        from esphome.build_gen.espidf import get_component_cmakelists
+
+        content = get_component_cmakelists()
+
+    assert "target_compile_features" not in content
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_platformio.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_platformio.py
index da0010afa3..2ae3836a25 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_platformio.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_platformio.py
@@ -160,3 +160,43 @@ def test_write_ini_no_change_when_content_same(
     call_args = mock_write_file_if_changed.call_args[0]
     assert call_args[0] == ini_file
     assert content in call_args[1]
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def clean_core(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "name", "test")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "platformio_options", {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "platformio_libraries", {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "build_flags", set())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "build_unflags", set())
+
+
+def test_get_ini_content_pins_cpp_standard(
+    clean_core: None, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    """cg.set_cpp_standard() pins -std via build_flags and unflags every other
+    known standard so the platform/framework default is stripped."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "cpp_standard", "gnu++20")
+
+    content = platformio.get_ini_content()
+
+    flags_section = content.split("build_flags =")[1].split("build_unflags =")[0]
+    unflags_section = content.split("build_unflags =")[1].split("extra_scripts")[0]
+    assert "-std=gnu++20\n" in flags_section
+    # Both the GNU and strict dialects of every other standard are stripped.
+    for year in ("11", "14", "17", "23", "26", "2a", "2b", "2c"):
+        assert f"-std=gnu++{year}\n" in unflags_section
+        assert f"-std=c++{year}\n" in unflags_section
+    assert "-std=c++20\n" in unflags_section
+    # The selected standard must not unflag itself.
+    assert "-std=gnu++20\n" not in unflags_section
+
+
+def test_get_ini_content_no_cpp_standard(
+    clean_core: None, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(CORE, "cpp_standard", None)
+
+    content = platformio.get_ini_content()
+
+    assert "-std=" not in content