diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
index 96fe9fed6f..22d38e36b4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import functools
 import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 import platform
@@ -604,6 +605,12 @@ ESP8266_EXCEPTION_CODES = {
 }
 
 
+@functools.cache
+def _warn_missing_decode_tool(path: str) -> None:
+    # Cached so a stack dump of dozens of addresses warns once, not per line
+    _LOGGER.warning("Cannot decode crash addresses: %s missing", path)
+
+
 def _decode_pc(config, addr):
     if CORE.using_toolchain_arduino:
         from esphome.arduino8266 import toolchain as native_toolchain
@@ -611,9 +618,8 @@ def _decode_pc(config, addr):
         addr2line = native_toolchain.get_addr2line_path()
         elf = native_toolchain.get_elf_path()
         if not addr2line.is_file() or not elf.is_file():
-            _LOGGER.warning(
-                "Cannot decode crash addresses: %s missing",
-                addr2line if not addr2line.is_file() else elf,
+            _warn_missing_decode_tool(
+                str(addr2line if not addr2line.is_file() else elf)
             )
             return
         addr2line, elf = str(addr2line), str(elf)
diff --git a/esphome/espidf/toolchain.py b/esphome/espidf/toolchain.py
index 450a809b2a..c21a2ad716 100644
--- a/esphome/espidf/toolchain.py
+++ b/esphome/espidf/toolchain.py
@@ -528,6 +528,8 @@ def get_idedata() -> dict | None:
     """
     from esphome.espidf.idedata import load_or_build_idedata
 
+    # No launcher: CMake excludes CMAKE_<LANG>_COMPILER_LAUNCHER (ccache)
+    # from the exported compile database, unlike ninja's compdb dump.
     return load_or_build_idedata(
         CORE.relative_build_path("build", "compile_commands.json"),
         get_elf_path(),
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_toolchain_validation.py b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_toolchain_validation.py
index 0a82822de4..f8a02cd410 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_toolchain_validation.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_toolchain_validation.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import pytest
 
 from esphome.components.esp8266 import (
@@ -114,3 +116,28 @@ def test_yaml_toolchain_key_defaults_to_platformio() -> None:
 
     _resolve_toolchain({})
     assert CORE.toolchain == Toolchain.PLATFORMIO
+
+
+def test_decode_pc_native_missing_tools_warns_once(
+    tmp_path: Path, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+) -> None:
+    """A stack dump of many addresses produces one missing-tool warning."""
+    from unittest.mock import patch
+
+    from esphome.components import esp8266
+
+    esp8266._warn_missing_decode_tool.cache_clear()
+    with (
+        patch(
+            "esphome.arduino8266.toolchain.get_addr2line_path",
+            return_value=tmp_path / "missing-addr2line",
+        ),
+        patch(
+            "esphome.arduino8266.toolchain.get_elf_path",
+            return_value=tmp_path / "missing.elf",
+        ),
+    ):
+        esp8266._decode_pc({}, "40201234")
+        esp8266._decode_pc({}, "40201238")
+    assert caplog.text.count("Cannot decode crash addresses") == 1
+    esp8266._warn_missing_decode_tool.cache_clear()