diff --git a/esphome/components/light/automation.h b/esphome/components/light/automation.h
index 90cd8b9026..1f79df97bf 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/light/automation.h
@@ -87,12 +87,15 @@ template<typename... Ts> class LightControlAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   LightState *parent_;
 };
 
-template<typename... Ts> class DimRelativeAction : public Action<Ts...> {
+template<bool HasTransitionLength, typename... Ts> class DimRelativeAction : public Action<Ts...> {
  public:
   explicit DimRelativeAction(LightState *parent) : parent_(parent) {}
 
   TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(float, relative_brightness)
-  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(uint32_t, transition_length)
+
+  template<typename V> void set_transition_length(V value) requires(HasTransitionLength) {
+    this->transition_length_ = value;
+  }
 
   void play(const Ts &...x) override {
     auto call = this->parent_->make_call();
@@ -106,7 +109,9 @@ template<typename... Ts> class DimRelativeAction : public Action<Ts...> {
     call.set_state(new_brightness != 0.0f);
     call.set_brightness(new_brightness);
 
-    call.set_transition_length(this->transition_length_.optional_value(x...));
+    if constexpr (HasTransitionLength) {
+      call.set_transition_length(this->transition_length_.optional_value(x...));
+    }
     call.perform();
   }
 
@@ -122,6 +127,9 @@ template<typename... Ts> class DimRelativeAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   float min_brightness_{0.0};
   float max_brightness_{1.0};
   LimitMode limit_mode_{LimitMode::CLAMP};
+  struct NoTransition {};
+  [[no_unique_address]] std::conditional_t<HasTransitionLength, TemplatableFn<uint32_t, Ts...>, NoTransition>
+      transition_length_{};
 };
 
 template<typename... Ts> class LightIsOnCondition : public Condition<Ts...> {
diff --git a/esphome/components/light/automation.py b/esphome/components/light/automation.py
index bcf058e8b2..ab5cc1a20b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/automation.py
+++ b/esphome/components/light/automation.py
@@ -263,10 +263,12 @@ LIGHT_DIM_RELATIVE_ACTION_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
 )
 async def light_dim_relative_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
     paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
+    has_transition_length = CONF_TRANSITION_LENGTH in config
+    dim_template_arg = cg.TemplateArguments(has_transition_length, *template_arg)
+    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, dim_template_arg, paren)
     templ = await cg.templatable(config[CONF_RELATIVE_BRIGHTNESS], args, cg.float_)
     cg.add(var.set_relative_brightness(templ))
-    if CONF_TRANSITION_LENGTH in config:
+    if has_transition_length:
         templ = await cg.templatable(config[CONF_TRANSITION_LENGTH], args, cg.uint32)
         cg.add(var.set_transition_length(templ))
     if conf := config.get(CONF_BRIGHTNESS_LIMITS):