diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
index 369489b6a9..593e80056f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/__init__.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ from .const import (
     KEY_BOARD,
     KEY_ESP8266,
     KEY_FLASH_SIZE,
+    KEY_LDSCRIPT,
     KEY_PIN_INITIAL_STATES,
     KEY_SERIAL1_REQUIRED,
     KEY_SERIAL_REQUIRED,
@@ -404,7 +405,16 @@ async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
             # No ld script support
             ld_script = None
         elif ver <= cv.Version(2, 4, 2):
-            # Old ld script path
+            # Old ld script path; the modern per-board override names do
+            # not exist in this core's SDK, so it cannot be honored
+            if KEY_LDSCRIPT in board_data:
+                _LOGGER.warning(
+                    "Board %s pins %s, which Arduino core %s cannot honor; "
+                    "using the default flash layout",
+                    config[CONF_BOARD],
+                    board_data[KEY_LDSCRIPT],
+                    ver,
+                )
             ld_script = ld_scripts[0]
         else:
             # A per-board override preserves a layout the board shipped
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
index 35d9d30e8c..268c6b50aa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from .const import KEY_FLASH_SIZE
+from .const import KEY_FLASH_SIZE, KEY_LDSCRIPT
 
 FLASH_SIZE_1_MB = 2**20
 FLASH_SIZE_512_KB = FLASH_SIZE_1_MB // 2
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ ESP8266_BOARD_PINS = {
 }
 
 """
-BOARDS generate with:
+BOARDS generate with (preserve per-board KEY_LDSCRIPT overrides such as
+d1_wroom_02; the recipe emits only name/flash_size):
 
 git clone https://github.com/platformio/platform-espressif8266
 for x in platform-espressif8266/boards/*.json; do
@@ -192,7 +193,9 @@ def board_ld_script(board_data: dict) -> str:
     Single source of truth for the PlatformIO pinning in __init__ and the
     native generator's fallback, so the per-board rule cannot drift.
     """
-    return board_data.get("ldscript", ESP8266_LD_SCRIPTS[board_data[KEY_FLASH_SIZE]][1])
+    return board_data.get(
+        KEY_LDSCRIPT, ESP8266_LD_SCRIPTS[board_data[KEY_FLASH_SIZE]][1]
+    )
 
 
 BOARDS = {
@@ -219,7 +222,7 @@ BOARDS = {
         # (64 KB filesystem region); the flash-size default (2m.ld) would
         # move _FS_end and with it the preferences sector, wiping existing
         # devices' flash-backed state on update.
-        "ldscript": "eagle.flash.2m64.ld",
+        KEY_LDSCRIPT: "eagle.flash.2m64.ld",
     },
     "d1": {
         "name": "WEMOS D1 R1",
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/const.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/const.py
index 8729007e3a..c6f550c594 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/const.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/const.py
@@ -71,3 +71,6 @@ def enable_serial1() -> None:
             enable_serial1()
     """
     CORE.data.setdefault(KEY_ESP8266, {})[KEY_SERIAL1_REQUIRED] = True
+
+
+KEY_LDSCRIPT = "ldscript"
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_boards.py b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_boards.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..288e0a1eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_boards.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+"""Tests for the per-board linker-script rule."""
+
+from esphome.components.esp8266.boards import BOARDS, board_ld_script
+
+
+def test_d1_wroom_02_keeps_its_shipped_layout() -> None:
+    """The override must survive a BOARDS regeneration or key typo: the
+    2m.ld default moves _FS_end and the preferences sector on deployed
+    devices."""
+    assert board_ld_script(BOARDS["d1_wroom_02"]) == "eagle.flash.2m64.ld"
+
+
+def test_default_boards_use_the_flash_size_layout() -> None:
+    assert board_ld_script(BOARDS["d1_mini"]) == "eagle.flash.4m.ld"
+    assert board_ld_script(BOARDS["esp01_1m"]) == "eagle.flash.1m.ld"