diff --git a/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py b/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
index fa06982141..d6cdbdb8f6 100644
--- a/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
+++ b/esphome/build_gen/arduino8266.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ from the build flags with the same precedence as the PlatformIO builder.
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from contextlib import suppress
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 import hashlib
 import logging
@@ -154,6 +153,10 @@ _LWIP_VARIANTS = {
         1460, 0, 0, "lwip2-1460"
     ),
 }
+# The default is PIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_LOW_MEMORY's variant: upstream
+# has no branch for that spelling (it is the else), so any listed knob wins
+# over it -- sntp emits LOW_MEMORY while esp8266 always emits
+# HIGHER_BANDWIDTH_LOW_FLASH, and the latter must win as under PlatformIO
 _LWIP_DEFAULT = _LwipVariant(536, 1, 0, "lwip2-536-feat")
 
 # Knob define -> MMU_* defines; first match wins, in insertion order (as
@@ -708,8 +711,13 @@ def generate_ld_scripts(
             _LOGGER.warning("Linker-script preprocessor: %s", result.stderr.strip())
             note_persisted = _write_note(stderr_note, result.stderr.strip(), warn=True)
         else:
-            with suppress(OSError):
+            try:
                 stderr_note.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+            except OSError as err:
+                # A kept stale note would re-emit an obsolete diagnostic on
+                # every cache hit; skip the stamp so -E re-derives the truth
+                _LOGGER.debug("Could not remove %s: %s", stderr_note, err)
+                note_persisted = False
         if "SECTIONS" not in result.stdout:
             # A degenerate zero-exit run must not be stamped as a good cache
             raise EsphomeError(
@@ -735,11 +743,12 @@ def generate_ld_scripts(
                 "Linker-script preprocessor: %s",
                 stderr_note.read_text(encoding="utf-8"),
             )
-        except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError):
+        except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError) as err:
             _LOGGER.warning(
                 "A cached linker-script preprocessor diagnostic exists at %s "
-                "but could not be read",
+                "but could not be read: %s",
                 stderr_note,
+                err,
             )
 
     if CORE.testing_mode:
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
index 0c13625a64..111dc4ccc8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ from esphome.platformio.toolchain import copy_ccache_script
 from esphome.storage_json import StorageJSON
 from esphome.types import ConfigType
 
-from .boards import BOARDS, ESP8266_LD_SCRIPTS
+from .boards import BOARDS, ESP8266_LD_SCRIPTS, board_ld_script
 from .const import (
     CONF_EARLY_PIN_INIT,
     CONF_ENABLE_SERIAL,
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
         else:
             # A per-board override preserves a layout the board shipped
             # with (see d1_wroom_02 in boards.py)
-            ld_script = board_data.get("ldscript", ld_scripts[1])
+            ld_script = board_ld_script(board_data)
 
         if ld_script is not None:
             cg.add_platformio_option("board_build.ldscript", ld_script)
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
index 397de60e24..35d9d30e8c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from .const import KEY_FLASH_SIZE
+
 FLASH_SIZE_1_MB = 2**20
 FLASH_SIZE_512_KB = FLASH_SIZE_1_MB // 2
 FLASH_SIZE_2_MB = 2 * FLASH_SIZE_1_MB
@@ -182,6 +184,17 @@ for x in platform-espressif8266/boards/*.json; do
 done | sort
 """
 
+
+def board_ld_script(board_data: dict) -> str:
+    """The modern (core > 2.4.2) flash linker script for a board: its
+    shipped-layout override, else the size default (the no-FS layout).
+
+    Single source of truth for the PlatformIO pinning in __init__ and the
+    native generator's fallback, so the per-board rule cannot drift.
+    """
+    return board_data.get("ldscript", ESP8266_LD_SCRIPTS[board_data[KEY_FLASH_SIZE]][1])
+
+
 BOARDS = {
     "agruminolemon": {
         "name": "Lifely Agrumino Lemon v4",
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
index 8f0035cb3e..4d8dcd2f2a 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_arduino8266.py
@@ -345,6 +345,8 @@ def test_write_project_scanf_float_and_waveform_kept(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         ),
         ("PIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_HIGHER_BANDWIDTH", "lwip2-1460-feat", 1460, 1, 0),
         ("PIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_LOW_MEMORY_LOW_FLASH", "lwip2-536", 536, 0, 0),
+        # LOW_MEMORY has no upstream branch: it is the default (else) variant
+        ("PIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_LOW_MEMORY", "lwip2-536-feat", 536, 1, 0),
     ],
 )
 def test_build_config_lwip_variants(
@@ -359,6 +361,17 @@ def test_build_config_lwip_variants(
     assert f"LWIP_IPV6={ipv6}" in config.knob_defines
 
 
+def test_lwip_low_memory_loses_to_listed_knobs() -> None:
+    """The ordinary SNTP multi-server config: sntp emits LOW_MEMORY, esp8266
+    always emits HIGHER_BANDWIDTH_LOW_FLASH, and the listed knob must win
+    exactly as in platformio-build.py's elif chain."""
+    config = _resolve(
+        "-DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_LOW_MEMORY",
+        "-DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP2_HIGHER_BANDWIDTH_LOW_FLASH",
+    )
+    assert config.lwip_lib == "lwip2-1460"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("knob", "expected"),
     [
@@ -1005,6 +1018,38 @@ def test_generate_ld_scripts_lost_warn_note_vetoes_the_stamp(
     assert caplog.text.count("Linker-script preprocessor: warning: something") == 2
 
 
+def test_generate_ld_scripts_unremovable_stale_note_vetoes_the_stamp(
+    tmp_path: Path, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    """A stale warn note that cannot be removed skips the stamp, so the
+    obsolete diagnostic is not re-emitted on cache hits forever."""
+    paths = _make_framework(tmp_path)
+    _set_flags()
+    warn = MagicMock(returncode=0, stdout=_COMMON_LD_H_OUTPUT, stderr="warning: old")
+    clean = MagicMock(returncode=0, stdout=_COMMON_LD_H_OUTPUT, stderr="")
+    with patch.object(arduino8266.subprocess, "run", return_value=warn):
+        _run_generate_ld_scripts(paths)
+
+    real_unlink = Path.unlink
+
+    def fail_note_unlink(self: Path, missing_ok: bool = False) -> None:
+        if self.name.endswith(".stderr"):
+            raise OSError("locked")
+        real_unlink(self, missing_ok=missing_ok)
+
+    # Flags changed -> regenerate; clean stderr but the stale note is stuck
+    _set_flags("-DVTABLES_IN_DRAM")
+    with (
+        patch.object(arduino8266.subprocess, "run", return_value=clean),
+        patch.object(Path, "unlink", fail_note_unlink),
+    ):
+        _run_generate_ld_scripts(paths)
+    # Unstamped: the next build re-runs -E instead of trusting the cache
+    with patch.object(arduino8266.subprocess, "run", return_value=clean) as run3:
+        _run_generate_ld_scripts(paths)
+    run3.assert_called_once()
+
+
 def test_build_config_mmu_knob_with_raw_mmu_flag_raises() -> None:
     """A variant knob plus a raw MMU_* define would split the compile line
     from the linker script; refuse like the no-knob case."""