diff --git a/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_esp_idf.cpp
index f018429984..88cb60675d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/ota/ota_backend_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,23 @@ static const esp_partition_t *find_app_partition_at(uint32_t address, size_t min
   return found;
 }
 
+// RAII helper for the destructive section of update_partition_table(). nvs_flash_deinit() is
+// called immediately before the first partition-table write so that earlier failure paths leave
+// NVS functional; this guard re-initializes NVS on every early return past that point so any
+// component still running after a failed OTA can keep using NVS. The success path disarms the
+// guard before returning because the device reboots immediately afterwards and reinit would only
+// churn the partition cache.
+namespace {
+struct NvsReinitGuard {
+  bool armed{true};
+  ~NvsReinitGuard() {
+    if (armed) {
+      nvs_flash_init();
+    }
+  }
+};
+}  // namespace
+
 // Validate the new partition table image staged in ``buf_`` and pick the slot the running app
 // will boot from after the update. Performs all non-destructive checks; the destructive write
 // is in ``update_partition_table()``. Side-effect: registers the live partition-table region
@@ -375,10 +392,10 @@ OTAResponseTypes IDFOTABackend::update_partition_table() {
   // Deinitialize NVS just before the first destructive write to the partition-table region. Doing
   // this here (instead of earlier) means that any failure path in the verify or copy phases above
   // returns with NVS still functional, so other components on the device aren't broken until reboot.
-  // Each failure path past this point calls nvs_flash_init() before returning so that, if the
-  // device keeps running, components that depend on NVS aren't permanently broken. The success
-  // path skips reinit because the device reboots immediately afterwards.
+  // The RAII guard re-initializes NVS on every early-return below; the success path disarms it
+  // immediately before returning, since the device reboots right after.
   nvs_flash_deinit();
+  NvsReinitGuard nvs_guard;
 
   // Update the partition table
   err = esp_ota_begin(this->partition_table_part_, ESP_PARTITION_TABLE_MAX_LEN, &this->update_handle_);
@@ -386,7 +403,6 @@ OTAResponseTypes IDFOTABackend::update_partition_table() {
     esp_ota_abort(this->update_handle_);
     this->update_handle_ = 0;
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_ota_begin failed (err=0x%X)", err);
-    nvs_flash_init();
     return OTA_RESPONSE_ERROR_PARTITION_TABLE_UPDATE;
   }
   err = esp_ota_write(this->update_handle_, this->buf_, ESP_PARTITION_TABLE_MAX_LEN);
@@ -396,14 +412,12 @@ OTAResponseTypes IDFOTABackend::update_partition_table() {
     esp_ota_abort(this->update_handle_);
     this->update_handle_ = 0;
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_ota_write failed (err=0x%X)", err);
-    nvs_flash_init();
     return OTA_RESPONSE_ERROR_PARTITION_TABLE_UPDATE;
   }
   err = esp_ota_end(this->update_handle_);
   this->update_handle_ = 0;  // esp_ota_end releases the handle internally regardless of result
   if (err != ESP_OK) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_ota_end failed (err=0x%X)", err);
-    nvs_flash_init();
     return OTA_RESPONSE_ERROR_PARTITION_TABLE_UPDATE;
   }
   // esp_partition_unload_all() invalidates every cached partition entry, including the externally
@@ -418,16 +432,15 @@ OTAResponseTypes IDFOTABackend::update_partition_table() {
   const esp_partition_t *new_boot_partition = find_app_partition_at(new_part->pos.offset, 0);
   if (new_boot_partition == nullptr) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Selected app partition not found after partition table update");
-    nvs_flash_init();
     return OTA_RESPONSE_ERROR_PARTITION_TABLE_UPDATE;
   }
   ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Setting next boot partition to 0x%X", new_boot_partition->address);
   err = esp_ota_set_boot_partition(new_boot_partition);
   if (err != ESP_OK) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "esp_ota_set_boot_partition failed (err=0x%X)", err);
-    nvs_flash_init();
     return OTA_RESPONSE_ERROR_PARTITION_TABLE_UPDATE;
   }
+  nvs_guard.armed = false;
   return OTA_RESPONSE_OK;
 }