diff --git a/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py b/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
index e7363938bb..1bf05bd906 100644
--- a/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
+++ b/esphome/build_helpers/pch.py
@@ -401,18 +401,7 @@ def prepare_pch(
         discard_pch(build_dir)
         pch_degraded(f"identity unknown: {err}")
         return
-    if gch.is_file() and _read_stamp(sum_path) == checksum:
-        _log_pch_in_use()
-        return
     failed_marker = Path(f"{gch}.failed")
-    if _read_stamp(failed_marker) == checksum:
-        _LOGGER.info(
-            "Precompiled header disabled after an earlier failure; delete %s to retry",
-            failed_marker,
-        )
-        pch_degraded("earlier failure latched")
-        return
-    _log_pch_in_use()
 
     def _run(run_cmd: list[str], what: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess | None:
         """Spawn one pch tool step; environmental failures discard and
@@ -463,6 +452,35 @@ def prepare_pch(
         os.utime(header)
         pch_degraded(f"{reason}: {error[:200]}")
 
+    def _probe() -> None:
+        """Load-check the built .gch: some toolchains build one they then
+        refuse to load (per-process ASLR). Dep flags are already stripped
+        from cmd, so no -MF is needed; cmd ends with the fixed
+        "-x c++-header -c -o" tail."""
+        probe = _run([*cmd[:-6], *pch_probe_args(str(header))], "probe")
+        if probe is None:
+            return
+        if probe.returncode != 0 or ".gch" in probe.stderr:
+            _fail(
+                probe.stderr.strip() or f"exit code {probe.returncode}",
+                "toolchain cannot load the pch",
+            )
+
+    if gch.is_file() and _read_stamp(sum_path) == checksum:
+        _log_pch_in_use()
+        if pch_strict():
+            # Rejection is per-process, so a cached .gch must re-prove
+            # loadability for the strict gate (CI-only cost)
+            _probe()
+        return
+    if _read_stamp(failed_marker) == checksum:
+        _LOGGER.info(
+            "Precompiled header disabled after an earlier failure; delete %s to retry",
+            failed_marker,
+        )
+        pch_degraded("earlier failure latched")
+        return
+    _log_pch_in_use()
     result = _run(cmd, "compile")
     if result is None:
         return
@@ -474,14 +492,9 @@ def prepare_pch(
     if error is not None:
         _fail(error, "compile failed")
         return
-    # Load probe: some toolchains build a .gch they then refuse to load
-    # (per-process ASLR); dep flags are already stripped from cmd, so no
-    # -MF is needed. cmd ends with the fixed "-x c++-header -c -o" tail.
-    probe = _run([*cmd[:-6], *pch_probe_args(str(header))], "probe")
-    if probe is None:
-        return
-    if probe.returncode != 0 or ".gch" in probe.stderr:
-        _fail(probe.stderr.strip(), "toolchain cannot load the pch")
+    _probe()
+    if not gch.is_file():
+        # The probe discarded a rejected or unrunnable .gch
         return
     failed_marker.unlink(missing_ok=True)
     sum_path.write_text(checksum + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
diff --git a/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script b/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
index dcd944d6d6..c875fa1c23 100644
--- a/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
+++ b/esphome/platformio/pch.py.script
@@ -164,12 +164,12 @@ def _setup_pch() -> bool | None:
         print(f"ESPHome: projenv unavailable ({_projenv_error}); skipping pch")
         try:
             from SCons.Script import COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS
-
-            # Expected under -t nobuild (nothing compiles); a missing
-            # projenv on a real compile must not pass strict
-            return "nobuild" in [str(t) for t in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS]
-        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 -- no SCons: cannot tell, stay lenient
+        except ImportError:
+            # No SCons: cannot tell, stay lenient
             return True
+        # Expected under -t nobuild (nothing compiles); a missing
+        # projenv on a real compile must not pass strict
+        return "nobuild" in [str(t) for t in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS]
     # Project root: SCons compiles run here, so the relative -include
     # resolves; an absolute path would break cross-device ccache sharing.
     proj_dir = Path(env.subst("$PROJECT_DIR"))  # noqa: F821
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
index dea020eadf..d577034597 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/build_gen/test_espidf.py
@@ -1257,3 +1257,42 @@ def test_prepare_pch_probe_rejection_latches_and_degrades(
         pytest.raises(EsphomeError, match="cannot load the pch"),
     ):
         prepare_pch()
+
+
+def test_prepare_pch_strict_reprobes_cached_gch(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    """Rejection is per-process: strict must re-prove a cached .gch loads."""
+    from esphome.build_gen.espidf import prepare_pch
+    from esphome.core import EsphomeError
+
+    dev = _make_pch_device(tmp_path, "dev_rc")
+    CORE.build_path = dev
+    gch = dev / "build" / "esphome_pch.h.gch"
+
+    def ok(cmd, **kwargs):
+        if "-fsyntax-only" not in cmd:
+            gch.write_bytes(b"gch")
+        return subprocess.CompletedProcess(cmd, 0, "", "")
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(CORE, "name", "test"),
+        patch("esphome.build_helpers.pch.subprocess.run", side_effect=ok),
+    ):
+        prepare_pch()
+    assert gch.exists()
+
+    def reject(cmd, **kwargs):
+        assert "-fsyntax-only" in cmd, "cached path must not recompile"
+        return subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            cmd, 0, "", "warning: esphome_pch.h.gch: had text segment "
+        )
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT", "1")
+    with (
+        patch.object(CORE, "name", "test"),
+        patch("esphome.build_helpers.pch.subprocess.run", side_effect=reject),
+        pytest.raises(EsphomeError, match="cannot load the pch"),
+    ):
+        prepare_pch()
+    assert not gch.exists()
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
index 6b25c3c989..902dbbf5dc 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_pch_script.py
@@ -472,8 +472,15 @@ def test_pch_script_strict_reraises_internal_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         _run_script(tmp_path, env_vars={"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT": "1"}, platform_cls=None)
 
 
-def test_pch_script_strict_allows_nobuild_skip(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
-    """-t nobuild compiles nothing; the skip is expected even in strict."""
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("targets", "passes"), [(["nobuild"], True), ([], False)])
+def test_pch_script_strict_projenv_skip_gated_on_nobuild(
+    tmp_path: Path, targets: list[str], passes: bool
+) -> None:
+    """-t nobuild compiles nothing, so the skip passes strict; a missing
+    projenv on a real compile must not."""
+    import sys
+    import types
+
     proj = tmp_path / "dev"
     (proj / "src").mkdir(parents=True)
 
@@ -481,12 +488,23 @@ def test_pch_script_strict_allows_nobuild_skip(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         if "projenv" in names:
             raise RuntimeError("Import of non-existent variable 'projenv'")
 
+    scons = types.ModuleType("SCons")
+    scons_script = types.ModuleType("SCons.Script")
+    scons_script.COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS = targets
     env = _FakeSConsEnv(proj, proj / "src", "g++", ["-DX=1"])
-    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT": "1"}, clear=True):
-        exec(  # noqa: S102
+    with (
+        patch.dict(sys.modules, {"SCons": scons, "SCons.Script": scons_script}),
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {"ESPHOME_PCH_STRICT": "1"}, clear=True),
+    ):
+        run = lambda: exec(  # noqa: S102, E731
             compile(_SCRIPT.read_text(), "pch.py", "exec"),
             {"Import": strict_import, "env": env},
         )
+        if passes:
+            run()
+        else:
+            with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="not used"):
+                run()
     assert not (proj / "esphome_pch.h").exists()