diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/bluetooth_connection_bluedroid.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/bluetooth_connection_bluedroid.cpp
index a65bb583598..65964f2ec20 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/bluetooth_connection_bluedroid.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/bluetooth_connection_bluedroid.cpp
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ void BluedroidGattClient::loop() {
       this->listener_->on_connection_state(false, 0, ESP_GATT_CONN_TIMEOUT);
     }
   } else {
-    // The loop stays on while a link exists (stack-down watch, pre-started
-    // search flush); it settles only back at IDLE.
+    // The loop stays on while a link exists (pre-started search flush); it
+    // settles only back at IDLE.
     this->deliver_pending_search_();
     if (this->state() == ClientState::IDLE) {
       this->disable_loop();
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
index e414f32580a..b08aa55ba2e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
@@ -83,32 +83,22 @@ void ESP32BLE::setup() {
   }
 }
 
-void ESP32BLE::enable() { this->request_state_(true); }
-void ESP32BLE::disable() { this->request_state_(false); }
-
 // Queue the transition for loop(). A pending transition the other way is
 // cancelled instead, since nothing was torn down or brought up yet; any other
 // state is already there or on its way.
 void ESP32BLE::request_state_(bool enable) {
-  switch (this->state_) {
-    case BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLE:
-      if (enable)
-        this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ACTIVE;
-      break;
-    case BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ENABLE:
-      if (!enable)
-        this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLED;
-      break;
-    case BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLED:
-      if (enable)
-        this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ENABLE;
-      break;
-    case BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ACTIVE:
-      if (!enable)
-        this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLE;
-      break;
-    default:
-      break;
+  if (enable) {
+    if (this->state_ == BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLED) {
+      this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ENABLE;
+    } else if (this->state_ == BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLE) {
+      this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ACTIVE;
+    }
+  } else {
+    if (this->state_ == BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ACTIVE) {
+      this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLE;
+    } else if (this->state_ == BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ENABLE) {
+      this->state_ = BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_DISABLED;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
index 2b889c5a3c6..fd4fb15ff69 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ class ESP32BLE final : public Component {
   }
   uint32_t get_advertising_cycle_time() const { return this->advertising_cycle_time_; }
 
-  void enable();
-  void disable();
+  void enable() { this->request_state_(true); }
+  void disable() { this->request_state_(false); }
   ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE bool is_active() { return this->state_ == BLE_COMPONENT_STATE_ACTIVE; }
   void setup() override;
   void loop() override;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index e290f9f2ddd..d209dd22cea 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void BLEClientBase::connect() {
   }
   if (this->gattc_if_ == ESP_GATT_IF_NONE) {
     // Bluedroid drops an open on an unknown interface without any event.
-    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Connect rejected, GATT app not registered", this->connection_index_, this->address_str_);
+    this->log_warning_("Connect rejected, GATT app not registered");
     this->set_state(espbt::ClientState::IDLE);
     return;
   }
@@ -220,7 +220,10 @@ void BLEClientBase::release_services() {
 #ifndef CONFIG_BT_GATTC_CACHE_NVS_FLASH
   // Only the cache clean makes the stack's database unsafe to walk.
   this->services_released_ = true;
-  esp_ble_gattc_cache_clean(this->remote_bda_);
+  // A stack on its way down frees its own cache.
+  if (esp32_ble::global_ble->is_active()) {
+    esp_ble_gattc_cache_clean(this->remote_bda_);
+  }
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
index 01c3de0c8b0..c189fd4d26f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
@@ -156,10 +156,11 @@ class BLEClientBase : public espbt::ESPBTClient, public Component {
   void log_connection_params_(const char *param_type);
   void handle_connection_result_(esp_err_t ret);
   /// Hook called once a connection has been fully torn down (after release_services() and
-  /// set_idle_()), from both the CLOSE_EVT handler and the DISCONNECTING safety timeout.
+  /// set_idle_()): CLOSE_EVT, the DISCONNECTING safety timeout, or the BLE stack going down.
   /// Subclasses with extra per-connection accounting (e.g. bluetooth_proxy slot state)
-  /// override this to release that state. `reason` is the controller reason code, or
-  /// ESP_GATT_CONN_TIMEOUT for the safety-timeout path.
+  /// override this to release that state. `reason` is the controller reason code,
+  /// ESP_GATT_CONN_TIMEOUT for the safety timeout, or ESP_GATT_CONN_TERMINATE_LOCAL_HOST
+  /// for the stack going down.
   virtual void on_disconnect_complete(esp_err_t reason) {}
   /// Transition to IDLE and reset conn_id — call when the connection is fully dead.
   void set_idle_() {
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
index 9e5f424c877..26296eadf0b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
@@ -74,13 +74,12 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::on_ota_global_state(ota::OTAState state, float progress, u
 
 void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
   if (!this->parent_->is_active()) {
-    this->ble_was_disabled_ = true;
     return;
-  } else if (this->ble_was_disabled_) {
+  }
+  if (this->ble_was_disabled_) {
     this->ble_was_disabled_ = false;
-    // Start the scan again after a disable. A cancelled disable never stopped
-    // it, so only start from IDLE.
-    if (this->scan_continuous_ && this->scanner_state_ == ScannerState::IDLE) {
+    // First start after boot or after the stack came back.
+    if (this->scan_continuous_) {
       this->start_scan();
     }
   }
@@ -228,12 +227,13 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::ble_before_disabled_event_handler() {
 #endif
   // The stop above never completes (stack torn down, events dropped); settle
   // here so start_scan_() sees IDLE once the stack is back.
-  if (this->scanner_state_ != ScannerState::IDLE) {
 #ifdef ESPHOME_ESP32_BLE_TRACKER_CLIENT_COUNT
-    this->skip_next_scan_end_ = false;
+  this->skip_next_scan_end_ = false;
 #endif
+  if (this->scanner_state_ != ScannerState::IDLE) {
     this->cleanup_scan_state_(true);
   }
+  this->ble_was_disabled_ = true;
 }
 
 bool ESP32BLETracker::stop_scan_() {