diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index 95b87776e3..a1c38cbfaf 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ void BLEClientBase::loop() {
              (millis() - this->disconnecting_started_) > DISCONNECTING_TIMEOUT) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Timeout waiting for CLOSE_EVT after disconnect, forcing IDLE", this->connection_index_,
              this->address_str_);
+    // release_services() must be called before set_idle_() — if we entered DISCONNECTING
+    // via unconditional_disconnect() (which doesn't call release_services()), and ESP-IDF
+    // never delivered CLOSE_EVT/DISCONNECT_EVT, services would leak without this call.
+    this->release_services();
     this->set_idle_();
   }
 }
@@ -230,6 +234,7 @@ void BLEClientBase::log_connection_params_(const char *param_type) {
 void BLEClientBase::handle_connection_result_(esp_err_t ret) {
   if (ret) {
     this->log_gattc_warning_("esp_ble_gattc_open", ret);
+    // Don't use set_idle_() here — CONNECT_EVT never fired so conn_id_ is still UNSET_CONN_ID.
     this->set_state(espbt::ClientState::IDLE);
   }
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
index b7fc772ba0..7bc72ae765 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class BLEClientBase : public espbt::ESPBTClient, public Component {
   uint16_t conn_id_{UNSET_CONN_ID};
   uint16_t mtu_{23};
 
-  // Group 6: 1-byte types and small enums
+  // Group 7: 1-byte types and small enums
   esp_ble_addr_type_t remote_addr_type_{BLE_ADDR_TYPE_PUBLIC};
   espbt::ConnectionType connection_type_{espbt::ConnectionType::V1};
   uint8_t connection_index_;