From 5b234bcc201b44774a678bccf4adf1f39000b2bb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "J. Nick Koston" <nick@koston.org>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:53:51 -1000
Subject: [PATCH] [wifi] Leave the cooldown from the loop after a credential
 save, not from the caller's context (#20802)

---
 esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp | 28 ++++++++--------------
 esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h   |  2 --
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-)

diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp
index 156ba6e9ffa..c37ec44384b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp
@@ -854,10 +854,11 @@ void WiFiComponent::loop() {
     switch (this->state_) {
       case WIFI_COMPONENT_STATE_COOLDOWN: {
         this->status_set_warning(LOG_STR("waiting to reconnect"));
-        // Skip cooldown if new credentials were provided while connecting
+        // Credentials not tried yet: retry whatever the driver reports. The flag outlives an adapter restart,
+        // which only lands back here, and start_connecting() clears it once they are tried
         if (this->skip_cooldown_next_cycle_) {
-          this->skip_cooldown_next_cycle_ = false;
-          this->check_connecting_finished(now);
+          ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Exiting cooldown early due to new WiFi credentials");
+          this->retry_connect();
           break;
         }
         // Use longer cooldown when a portal/improv is active to avoid disrupting a user on the AP
@@ -1183,7 +1184,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::set_sta(const WiFiAP &ap) {
   this->init_sta(1);
   this->add_sta(ap);
   this->selected_sta_index_ = 0;
-  // When new credentials are set (e.g., from improv), skip cooldown to retry immediately
+  // New credentials end the next cooldown early; start_connecting() clears this once they are tried
   this->skip_cooldown_next_cycle_ = true;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LEASE_CACHE
   // Index 0 is a different network now, so its cached lease must not be re-applied
@@ -1252,29 +1253,18 @@ void WiFiComponent::save_wifi_sta(const char *ssid, const char *password) {
   WiFiAP sta{};
   sta.set_ssid(ssid);
   sta.set_password(password);
+  // No retry here: a captive portal save runs in lwIP's context on the ESP8266, where retry_connect() yields and
+  // panics. set_sta() flags the credentials and loop() tries them
   this->set_sta(sta);
-
-  // Trigger connection attempt (exits cooldown if needed, no-op if already connecting/connected)
-  this->connect_soon_();
-}
-
-void WiFiComponent::connect_soon_() {
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_AP_EXCLUSIVE
-  // New credentials from the portal: the AP pauses for them once its answer
-  // is out, and the STA state machine picks them up from there.
+  // The AP pauses for the new credentials once its answer is out, and the STA state machine picks them up
   if (this->ap_setup_) {
     this->set_timeout(AP_HANDOVER_TIMEOUT_ID, WIFI_AP_EXCLUSIVE_HANDOVER_MS, [this]() {
       if (this->ap_setup_)
         this->pause_exclusive_ap_();
     });
-    return;
   }
 #endif
-  // Only trigger retry if we're in cooldown - if already connecting/connected, do nothing
-  if (this->state_ == WIFI_COMPONENT_STATE_COOLDOWN) {
-    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Exiting cooldown early due to new WiFi credentials");
-    this->retry_connect();
-  }
 }
 
 void WiFiComponent::start_connecting(const WiFiAP &ap) {
@@ -1366,6 +1356,8 @@ void WiFiComponent::start_connecting(const WiFiAP &ap) {
   // enters COOLDOWN without calling start_connecting(), and ESP8266 clears it again
   // after wifi_station_connect(), whose callbacks fire synchronously.
   this->error_from_callback_ = false;
+  // Every attempt passes through here, so the credentials set_sta() flagged are tried now
+  this->skip_cooldown_next_cycle_ = false;
 
   if (!this->wifi_sta_connect_(ap)) {
     ESP_LOGE(TAG, "wifi_sta_connect_ failed");
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
index 8cfdaaff00c..1048df19c39 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
@@ -822,8 +822,6 @@ class WiFiComponent final : public Component {
     return true;
   }
 
-  void connect_soon_();
-
   bool wifi_loop_();
 #ifdef USE_ESP8266
   void process_pending_callbacks_();