diff --git a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.cpp b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.cpp
index 2f8b4dbd11..e6ce91a22e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 namespace esphome::uart {
 
 static const char *const TAG = "uart";
+// Edge decoder up to this baud rate; above it the start bit sampler, whose
+// whole-byte block in the ISR is short there and whose timing still holds up.
+static constexpr uint32_t SW_SERIAL_EDGE_MODE_MAX_BAUD = 38400;
 bool ESP8266UartComponent::serial0_in_use = false;  // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-avoid-non-const-global-variables)
 
 uint32_t ESP8266UartComponent::get_config() {
@@ -237,6 +240,9 @@ void ESP8266SoftwareSerial::setup(InternalGPIOPin *tx_pin, InternalGPIOPin *rx_p
   this->stop_bits_ = stop_bits;
   this->data_bits_ = data_bits;
   this->parity_ = parity;
+  this->rx_stop_bit_ = data_bits + (parity != UART_CONFIG_PARITY_NONE ? 1 : 0);
+  // Runs longer than a whole frame plus one bit are idle; cap them there.
+  this->rx_max_run_cycles_ = this->bit_time_ * (this->rx_stop_bit_ + stop_bits + 2);
   if (tx_pin != nullptr) {
     gpio_tx_pin_ = tx_pin;
     gpio_tx_pin_->setup();
@@ -247,10 +253,31 @@ void ESP8266SoftwareSerial::setup(InternalGPIOPin *tx_pin, InternalGPIOPin *rx_p
     gpio_rx_pin_ = rx_pin;
     gpio_rx_pin_->setup();
     rx_pin_ = gpio_rx_pin_->to_isr();
-    rx_buffer_ = new uint8_t[this->rx_buffer_size_];  // NOLINT
-    gpio_rx_pin_->attach_interrupt(ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr, this, gpio::INTERRUPT_FALLING_EDGE);
+    if (this->rx_buffer_ == nullptr) {
+      this->rx_buffer_ = new uint8_t[this->rx_buffer_size_];  // NOLINT
+    }
+    // load_settings() re-enters here, so reset the decoder before re-attaching.
+    this->rx_bit_ = RX_IDLE;
+    this->rx_last_level_ = this->rx_pin_.digital_read();
+    this->rx_last_edge_ = arch_get_cpu_cycle_count();
+    if (baud_rate <= SW_SERIAL_EDGE_MODE_MAX_BAUD) {
+      gpio_rx_pin_->attach_interrupt(ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr_edge, this, gpio::INTERRUPT_ANY_EDGE);
+    } else {
+      gpio_rx_pin_->attach_interrupt(ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr, this, gpio::INTERRUPT_FALLING_EDGE);
+    }
   }
 }
+inline bool ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE ESP8266SoftwareSerial::rx_push_byte_(uint8_t data) {
+  size_t in = this->rx_in_pos_;
+  size_t next = in + 1;
+  if (next == this->rx_buffer_size_)
+    next = 0;
+  if (next == this->rx_out_pos_)
+    return false;  // full, drop the byte
+  this->rx_buffer_[in] = data;
+  this->rx_in_pos_ = next;
+  return true;
+}
 void IRAM_ATTR ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg) {
   uint32_t wait = arg->bit_time_ + arg->bit_time_ / 3 - 500;
   const uint32_t start = arch_get_cpu_cycle_count();
@@ -269,8 +296,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg) {
   if (arg->stop_bits_ == 2)
     arg->wait_(&wait, start);
 
-  arg->rx_buffer_[arg->rx_in_pos_] = rec;
-  arg->rx_in_pos_ = (arg->rx_in_pos_ + 1) % arg->rx_buffer_size_;
+  arg->rx_push_byte_(rec);
   // Clear RX pin so that the interrupt doesn't re-trigger right away again.
   arg->rx_pin_.clear_interrupt();
 #ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
@@ -280,6 +306,88 @@ void IRAM_ATTR ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg) {
   wake_loop_isrsafe();
 #endif
 }
+inline bool ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE ESP8266SoftwareSerial::rx_consume_run_(uint32_t bits, bool level) {
+  uint8_t bit = this->rx_bit_;
+  uint8_t cur = this->rx_cur_byte_;
+  bool pushed = false;
+  while (bits > 0) {
+    if (bit == RX_IDLE) {
+      // Idle line, or what is left of a run after a framing error.
+      if (level)
+        break;
+      // Start bit
+      bit = 0;
+      cur = 0;
+      bits--;
+    } else if (bit < this->data_bits_) {
+      uint8_t n = this->data_bits_ - bit;
+      if (n > bits)
+        n = bits;
+      if (level)
+        cur |= ((1U << n) - 1) << bit;
+      bit += n;
+      bits -= n;
+    } else if (bit < this->rx_stop_bit_) {
+      // Parity bit: consumed but not checked, same as gpio_intr.
+      bit++;
+      bits--;
+    } else {
+      // Stop bit; a low level here is a framing error, drop the byte.
+      if (level)
+        pushed = this->rx_push_byte_(cur);
+      bit = RX_IDLE;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  this->rx_bit_ = bit;
+  this->rx_cur_byte_ = cur;
+  return pushed;
+}
+void IRAM_ATTR ESP8266SoftwareSerial::gpio_intr_edge(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg) {
+  const uint32_t now = arch_get_cpu_cycle_count();
+  const bool level = arg->rx_pin_.digital_read();
+  const bool last_level = arg->rx_last_level_;
+  // Two edges collapsed into one interrupt: skip it so the run is still
+  // measured from the last real edge and the frame stays aligned.
+  if (level == last_level)
+    return;
+  // Bits since the last edge, rounded to nearest; no hardware divider on the LX106, so count.
+  uint32_t delta = now - arg->rx_last_edge_;
+  if (delta > arg->rx_max_run_cycles_)
+    delta = arg->rx_max_run_cycles_;
+  delta += arg->bit_time_ / 2;
+  uint32_t bits = 0;
+  while (delta >= arg->bit_time_) {
+    delta -= arg->bit_time_;
+    bits++;
+  }
+  const bool pushed = arg->rx_consume_run_(bits, last_level);
+  arg->rx_last_edge_ = now;
+  arg->rx_last_level_ = level;
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+  // A frame's last edge is always rising and its tail is completed by
+  // rx_finalize_pending_() on the main loop, so wake on those as well.
+  if (pushed || (level && arg->rx_bit_ != RX_IDLE))
+    wake_loop_isrsafe();
+#endif
+}
+void ESP8266SoftwareSerial::rx_finalize_pending_() {
+  const uint8_t bit = this->rx_bit_;
+  const uint32_t edge = this->rx_last_edge_;
+  // Bits still needed up to and including the first stop bit.
+  const uint32_t remaining = this->rx_stop_bit_ + 1 - bit;
+  if (arch_get_cpu_cycle_count() - edge < remaining * this->bit_time_ + this->bit_time_ / 2) {
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+    // Not old enough yet: run the loop again right away instead of after a full loop_interval_.
+    wake_loop_threadsafe();
+#endif
+    return;
+  }
+  InterruptLock lock;
+  // If the ISR moved on in the meantime the next call picks it up.
+  if (this->rx_bit_ == bit && this->rx_last_edge_ == edge && this->rx_last_level_)
+    this->rx_consume_run_(remaining, true);
+}
 void IRAM_ATTR HOT ESP8266SoftwareSerial::write_byte(uint8_t data) {
   if (this->gpio_tx_pin_ == nullptr) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "UART doesn't have TX pins set!");
@@ -329,6 +437,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR ESP8266SoftwareSerial::write_bit_(bool bit, uint32_t *wait, const
   this->wait_(wait, start);
 }
 uint8_t ESP8266SoftwareSerial::read_byte() {
+  this->rx_sync_();
   if (this->rx_in_pos_ == this->rx_out_pos_)
     return 0;
   uint8_t data = this->rx_buffer_[this->rx_out_pos_];
@@ -336,6 +445,7 @@ uint8_t ESP8266SoftwareSerial::read_byte() {
   return data;
 }
 uint8_t ESP8266SoftwareSerial::peek_byte() {
+  this->rx_sync_();
   if (this->rx_in_pos_ == this->rx_out_pos_)
     return 0;
   return this->rx_buffer_[this->rx_out_pos_];
@@ -344,6 +454,7 @@ void ESP8266SoftwareSerial::flush() {
   // Flush is a NO-OP with software serial, all bytes are written immediately.
 }
 size_t ESP8266SoftwareSerial::available() {
+  this->rx_sync_();
   // Read volatile rx_in_pos_ once to avoid TOCTOU race with ISR.
   // When in >= out, data is contiguous: [out..in).
   // When in < out, data wraps: [out..buf_size) + [0..in).
diff --git a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.h b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.h
index 469885b6b6..2c00ed8658 100644
--- a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.h
+++ b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp8266.h
@@ -26,17 +26,41 @@ class ESP8266SoftwareSerial {
   size_t available();
 
  protected:
+  /// Start bit sampler for high baud rates: reads the whole byte inside the ISR.
   static void gpio_intr(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg);
+  /// Edge decoder for low baud rates: counts bits from the time between edges, returns at once.
+  static void gpio_intr_edge(ESP8266SoftwareSerial *arg);
 
   void wait_(uint32_t *wait, const uint32_t &start);
   bool read_bit_(uint32_t *wait, const uint32_t &start);
   void write_bit_(bool bit, uint32_t *wait, const uint32_t &start);
 
+  bool rx_push_byte_(uint8_t data);
+  /// Feed `bits` consecutive bits at `level` into the edge decoder. Returns true when a byte was pushed.
+  bool rx_consume_run_(uint32_t bits, bool level);
+  /// Complete a byte whose trailing bits are idle-high and so never produce a closing edge.
+  void rx_finalize_pending_();
+  void ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE rx_sync_() {
+    if (this->rx_bit_ != RX_IDLE && this->rx_last_level_)
+      this->rx_finalize_pending_();
+  }
+
   uint32_t bit_time_{0};
   uint8_t *rx_buffer_{nullptr};
   size_t rx_buffer_size_;
   volatile size_t rx_in_pos_{0};
   size_t rx_out_pos_{0};
+
+  // Edge decoder state. rx_bit_ is the index of the next frame bit after the
+  // start bit (data, then parity, then stop at rx_stop_bit_) or RX_IDLE.
+  static constexpr uint8_t RX_IDLE = 0xFF;
+  uint32_t rx_max_run_cycles_{0};
+  volatile uint32_t rx_last_edge_{0};
+  volatile uint8_t rx_bit_{RX_IDLE};
+  volatile uint8_t rx_cur_byte_{0};
+  volatile bool rx_last_level_{true};
+  uint8_t rx_stop_bit_{0};
+
   uint8_t stop_bits_;
   uint8_t data_bits_;
   UARTParityOptions parity_;