diff --git a/esphome/core/lwip_fast_select.h b/esphome/core/lwip_fast_select.h
index fc3f6847a2..f76eb47c8b 100644
--- a/esphome/core/lwip_fast_select.h
+++ b/esphome/core/lwip_fast_select.h
@@ -29,17 +29,21 @@ void esphome_lwip_fast_select_init(void);
 /// Use this at registration time to cache the pointer for esphome_lwip_socket_has_data().
 struct lwip_sock *esphome_lwip_get_sock(int fd);
 
-/// Check if a cached LwIP socket has data ready via direct rcvevent read.
+/// Check if a cached LwIP socket has data ready via unlocked hint read of rcvevent.
+/// This avoids lwIP core lock contention between the main loop (CPU0) and
+/// streaming/networking work (CPU1). Correctness is preserved because sockets are
+/// nonblocking and EWOULDBLOCK is handled as normal — a stale hint simply means
+/// we retry on the next loop iteration.
+///
 /// The sock pointer must have been obtained from esphome_lwip_get_sock() and must
 /// remain valid (caller owns socket lifetime — no concurrent close).
 /// Hot path: inlined volatile 16-bit load — no function call overhead.
 /// Uses offset-based access because lwip/priv/sockets_priv.h conflicts with C++.
-/// The offset is verified at compile time in lwip_fast_select.c.
+/// The offset and size are verified at compile time in lwip_fast_select.c.
 static inline bool esphome_lwip_socket_has_data(struct lwip_sock *sock) {
+  // Unlocked hint read — no lwIP core lock needed.
   // volatile prevents the compiler from caching/reordering this cross-thread read.
-  // The write side (TCP/IP thread) commits via SYS_ARCH_UNPROTECT which releases a
-  // FreeRTOS mutex (ESP32) or resumes the scheduler (LibreTiny), ensuring the value
-  // is visible. Aligned 16-bit reads are single-instruction loads (L16SI/LH/LDRH) on
+  // Aligned 16-bit reads are single-instruction loads (L16SI/LH/LDRH) on
   // Xtensa/RISC-V/ARM and cannot produce torn values.
   return *(volatile int16_t *) ((char *) sock + (int) ESPHOME_LWIP_SOCK_RCVEVENT_OFFSET) > 0;
 }